Alexis Tsipras declares readiness to return as Greek Prime Minister

In an interview with the Belgian newspaper Le Soir, former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras declared his readiness to reclaim the premiership. Representing the Greek Left Coalition, Tsipras presented a political and economic roadmap titled the ‘National Reconstruction Plan’. A central pillar of this plan is the proposed creation of a 25 billion euro investment fund over a four-year period to bolster domestic production and innovation.

Tsipras leveled heavy criticism against the government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, arguing that the administration has failed to utilize European recovery funds effectively. He highlighted growing social inequalities, noting that while the Greek economy shows macroeconomic growth, the purchasing power of citizens remains significantly lower than in 2010. He specifically pointed to the narrowing gap between Greek and Bulgarian wages, stating that the average Greek salary was 83% higher than the Bulgarian counterpart in 2019, but has since dropped to only 17% higher.

Furthermore, Tsipras criticized the high cost of living and housing, comparing Greek prices to those in France and Belgium while describing Greek working conditions as being akin to China. He proposed a 1% wealth tax on the country’s wealthiest 1% and called for increased European solidarity and joint borrowing to fund social cohesion and the ecological transition.