Kasselakis: ‘A modern Greece of progress, both economic and social’

The main difference between SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance and ruling New Democracy “is that we consider labour a productive force, that support of wages, protection of labour rights and reduction of inequalities not only protects but also supports economic growth,” the main opposition party’s leader Stefanos Kasselakis said on Tuesday, addressing the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV) general assembly at the Athens Concert Hall.

Presenting his vision for a “modern Greece of progress, both economic and social,” Kasselakis pledged to deliver a “decentralised growth for all” instead of the centralised ‘executive state’ model espoused by ND, which he claimed sought “to control the flow of money in every activity”.

He also criticised ND “rendering justice ‘toothless’ with every act as a government” and pledged that, if elected, he will never seek to influence either justice or the media but “protect the institutions”.

According to Kasselakis, the greatest wager for the country’s enterprises was to attract “the minds of the nation” but also “find ways to reward them and keep them” and “cultivate new, modern attitudes together with the workers”.

A SYRIZA-PA government, he added, will not engage in political patronage and favours but work to create an efficient state sector with much less bureaucracy. He said that SYRIZA will now “move on to the next stage in its historic course, that of a modern Left that does not demonise the word ‘capital’ but sees it as a tool for prosperity, for the reduction of the huge inequalities through strong growth.”

He added that the party will do this with a team of “able people from the labour force and the economy, who … want to selflessly contribute to their country.”