Averof Neophytou expressed concern about the course of the economy today.
In his speech at the Cleopatra Hotel, he said, among other things, that "At a time when the growth of the economy is slowing down, the government is stepping on the gas in spending increases. If we are not careful, we will go into recession in 2025 and into fiscal deficits, at the time when the provisions of the Stability Pact with strict limits on deficits are coming back."
His speech is the same
Friends
I feel very honored for this meeting, which you organized. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for our cooperation over the years.
I belong to a different generation, but in your faces I see allies and fellow travelers. People who believed in our principles and values and founded DISY.
Every time I meet you, I feel the touch of our tradition. I feel the infusion of your experience. I share the sense of debt. I feel the responsibility. I relive our common path. I hear the pacing of our story. I am captivated by the command of our conscience to always be where duty calls us. Regardless of positions and offices, to take responsibility for our actions, but also not to be silent when we have to speak.
We are living critical moments for the nation, the country, the society and the economy.
Today is a crucial, a significant day with the elections in Greece. I wish the sister party, my friend and great friend of our Cyprus, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, to win for the good of Greece and our country. By the way, let's see that today in Greece 17-year-olds also vote. Here is a nice idea that deserves to be implemented here as well. No, of course because, as the last elections showed, the Alarm has the majority of the young generation, we are, once again, the first party among young people, but because our young people, the 17-year-olds, with their maturity and competitiveness, deserve to become equal citizens.
Elections are also held next Sunday in Turkey. The international actor expected the pending elections in Cyprus, Greece and Turkey to be completed so that, by the autumn, the Cyprus issue and Greek-Turkish relations would be put on the table. For our national question, it is probably the last chance to solve it.
Friends, in this new phase, Mitsotakis's dominance is a pillar of stability for our national cause. The looming dominance of Erdogan confirms the predictions we made already last year. He is an unpredictable player both on the international stage and in our region.
He is also the leader who can make and implement decisions. We, Cyprus, instead of wasting ourselves and struggling with the question "whether Erdogan will distance himself further from the West and from Europe", we must understand that we have no room to define ourselves differently. We must put forward our choice for the solution of the Cyprus problem and the reunification of our homeland on the agreed basis of the Bizonal, Bicommunal Federation with political equality. And our choice must be clear and crystal clear. Half-hearted and ambiguous formulations may serve party needs and purposes within the country and the government, but it is clear that they harm the national issue, that they oppose the national interest.
I will not tire of emphasizing that there is no strong negotiation without a strong economy. And there is no welfare of citizens without a thriving economy.
For this reason, I feel the duty to point out the first alarming signs of the slowing down of the economy. The growth rate fell in the first quarter by 50 percent compared to last year. Some people think that we will continue to "eat from the ready", but life experience shows the opposite. As tactfully as my little story dictates, I called upon those in charge to make early planning, to implement decisive measures, and to plan subtle manipulations. But instead of measures in the right direction, we see paradoxical phenomena. At a time when economic growth is slowing down, the government is pushing the gas on spending increases. If we are not careful, we will be heading for recession in 2025 and fiscal deficits, as the provisions of the Stability Pact with strict deficit limits are reinstated.
In another critical area, I find that not only do we get ahead of events, we also anticipate them. New sanctions were imposed, new sanctions. I don't care if they affect people, I don't deal with people, I am interested and concerned because they concern, because they affect the country. We are a service economy. If we allow Cyprus to be undermined, to be slandered in the international investment community as a safe investment destination with a present and, especially, a future, then the effects on the economy, on income, on employment will be rapid. And in this matter proactive, delicate manipulations were required before we reached the accomplished. We will always be at the forefront with our Western allies and partners to defend international legitimacy, to condemn the invasion of Ukraine, but, at the same time, we care about our homeland. You also realize from my careful choice of wording that this topic requires subtle manipulations of substance, not communicative noise. It is one thing to cooperate and comply, and quite another for the leadership of a state to become a spokesperson for any other country, or a traffic warden of dangerous movements for the present and future of the country. Presumably the damage caused by the pre-sanctions statements was more than the sanctions themselves. Of course we say no to any cover-up, of course we have to stop stepping on two boats, but at the same time we have an obligation to protect the country itself.
As I said at our recent Congress, I will always be combative. I will testify publicly, before the society, my positions and opinions that I consider beneficial for the place. It is up to our leadership if it deems them right to take them into account. I do not claim paternity. I care about the correctness of policy regardless of who implements it.
My dear friends,
The future of a country depends on the effectiveness of political management and not on the aesthetics of image and communication, let's all always keep this in mind.
Thank you.
