Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke about the elections, the Kasidiari party, football, his interview with Nefeli Meg and his family.
Starting with the elections, the Prime Minister mentioned that every pre-election period has a special interest. "It is an extremely critical ballot box. I believe that despite the difficulties we have achieved a lot and the question is whether we will go forward or roll back. Greek society is facing great difficulties, mainly from imported precision, and it is my duty and the government's to stand by the citizens who are being tested by a phenomenon that we have seen for many decades to this extent," he emphasized in his interview with MEGA.
Commenting on the proposal of Nikos Androulakis, Mr. Mitsotakis said: "I want to compare myself with myself. Comparison is an inevitable component of politics. Two politicians can claim to be prime minister. I had the honor of being prime minister for 4 years. Mr. Tsipras was prime minister for 4 years before me. Citizens can compare what the country has achieved. It's not a personal confrontation. Citizens don't just choose a party, they also choose a candidate for prime minister and that is why PASOK's stance on the infamous unknown "X" has created confusion.
"Certainly politics is a comparative process. I would like the vote both for me and for the party I lead to be positive. That's why I'm talking about our reckoning. I stress the consistency of words and works", he added.
Finally, speaking about the upcoming elections and young voters, he emphasized: "Anyone born in 2006 can vote", while addressing the young children he said: "Don't look for the perfect and the ideal because it may not exist. To close their eyes and ears to extreme voices, to criminal activity that equates politics with violence."
Kasidiaris Party: "We did our duty in the Parliament"
Regarding the "block" in the participation of the Kasidiaris party in the elections and government initiatives, he said: "Politics is in no way violence. In the Parliament we did our duty, now the responsibility lies with justice and I am sure that justice will be done according to the circumstances", concluded the Prime Minister.
"I feel very heavy the responsibility for Tempi"
"I feel very heavy the responsibility for what happened in Tempe," the prime minister said at another point in his interview.
"I have taken my share of responsibility. There is one question I think on everyone's mind. How did it happen and what are you going to do, my children tell me, so that it doesn't happen again" continued the prime minister to add: "I also felt a lot of pressure, privately I might even have cried. I have to manage the crisis the next day, the next hour."
Regarding the crises he faced during his tenure, Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated that most were imported. "These were crises where the state rose to the occasion. I was touched by the story of the border guard in Evros. The same state we accuse organized the vaccination campaign. The same state is the one that kept the country safe through the armed forces."
And he added: "There is also the state with nepotism, indifference, we saw it in the OSE. I'm more determined to clash. For the first time, we held a nationwide competition for ASEP and we will have a list of winners. For the first time we are doing a real evaluation. I guarantee that I can put these into practice."
Screening
"Two of my three sisters went through and are going through a great ordeal. Fortunately, things are going well for both Dora and Katerina", said Kyriakos Mitsotakis in response to a related question.
He then spoke generally about health and the importance of screening. "I am happy that the "Fofi Gennimata" program is running with significant results. Over 6.000 cases have already been diagnosed. Women who had cancer, didn't know it, and now that they know, they have a good chance of getting well. Screening is a key pillar of our health policy. It also applies to children. One of the big bets I want to tackle is childhood obesity. "Adolescent mental health is a big global problem," he said.
Violence against women: "We are not where we want to be"
"On the State ballot you will see women in all its positions," said the prime minister.
He then spoke about the issue of violence against women: “Both Mareva and I have dealt a lot with the issue of the abuse of women. We already have support centers in the police stations, we need to train the police. It is very difficult to go to a police station and report an incident of domestic violence. We are not where we want to be, but we have started to take some steps in the right direction," he stressed.
He then referred to the delay in the administration of justice. "I was with the parents of Eleni Topaloudi in Didymoteicho and soon I will see all the families that had victims. We are doing well and using the term "feminicide". One feels only heartbreak when talking to these people, as when I spoke to the relatives of the Tempe victims. What one can do is get strength. Parents are asking for justice and many times they are suffering from the judicial system, I heard these stories and it turned my guts. Ah quick and final punishment, justice. The strictest penalties, we have done it. And then preventive policies so that we have as few cases as possible."
The situation in Greek football
"Football is so important that what you say is imperative," Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in response to a question about the situation in Greek football and the question raised about the foreign referees being selected.
"It has administrative independence" he said and added: "It is unthinkable that we cannot have good, serious referees from abroad. VAR is a great advancement for football. But it also exists from the external consolidation plan and that's where we have to go."
"The matches must be played on the field" he said afterwards. "We have taken steps in the area of fan violence. We want to have objective refereeing and let the best man win. It is of great importance to improve the infrastructure. Panathinaikos finally gets its own stadium. When someone enters a new stadium, attitudes change."
The interview with Nefeli Meg and social media
For the interview he gave to YouTuber Nefeli Meg, the prime minister said: "I wanted to expose myself to the tough questions of a young 25-year-old girl. Many times their questions are blunt and they are not easily reconciled to the answer I will give them. This is my daughter's age. Each of my children has different characteristics and different interest in the commons. I hear them. Many times they come up with ideas that I haven't thought of. My little daughter told me e.g. that other countries do things for menopausal women. Here women have an additional cost that men do not. We have to deal with it. We will make announcements soon. It was my daughter's idea."
He then took to social media saying: “TikTok is a tool that has a lot of power, it also raises a lot of questions. I don't have the app on my phone and I have banned all cabinet members from having it. But it enables me to communicate. It's impressive how many new people are seeing and receiving the message through TikTok."
Marriage and family
Moving on to more personal questions, Kyriakos Mitsotakis referred to his marriage with Mareva Grabovski. "Mareva and I have been together for almost 30 years. We went through a period when we were not together. When we met again, our relationship was stronger. Mareva will definitely tell me her opinion in a very blunt way, she will push me, she is not always right obviously, and she has a different sensibility," he noted.
"He sees things that I simply don't see. Certainly my mother had a strong personality and Mareva has a strong personality," he emphasized.
Referring to his parents, he said that: “Of course I miss my parents. Always when I'm in Crete I take my bike, I ride, I always stop at the cemetery and leave a flower. Parents have done a good job when you seek their opinion and you know what they would tell you if they were present."
He also said: "I have played tennis with Maria Sakkari. She was very kind to me. It is impossible for me to return her second serve."
Speaking about his family, he said: “Each of my children is different. In the family we talk a lot about personal things. I really enjoy spending time with family. I have at least one child who I'm sure will do the exact opposite of what I'm about to say."
Finally, he mentioned tattoos: "Now tattoos are very fashionable. Maybe at some point I would... My wife has a baby dolphin, I like that idea. These are spur of the moment decisions. My advice to the kids, I say, watch out because it's for life, it's going to be there forever."
Source: kathimerini.gr