He is the only Achaean who is currently in the European Parliament and is one of the most active in his field.
The reason for Nikos Papandreou, a member of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats whom we met in Brussels during the recent trip we made to the headquarters of the European Union.
Nikos Papandreou mentioned all the “hot” issues, accuracy, demographics and underlined that the Greeks will send a message in the European elections in June…
-In your speech you mentioned the accuracy that also concerns Greece. What measures should the European Union take?
For many months, the government left the profiteering and profiteering at the expense of Greek consumers unchecked, without substantial intervention measures and adequate controls on the market. Now he is celebrating in retrospect for some point reductions in some product codes, which do not concern the majority of products and do not in any way compensate for the wild increases that have occurred in the past period in basic necessities, such as for example the price of baby milk which is by 213% more compared to the EU. In addition, the consumer public has not been informed whether the imposition of fines on specific companies has led to corresponding price reductions, while the control mechanisms remain understaffed. At the beginning of the year, I called from the floor of the European Parliament for the EU to take horizontal measures to combat precision within the eurozone, but to date no decisive steps have been taken in this direction. We cannot go to the European elections without some form of intervention that will relieve our vulnerable fellow citizens. And in this direction I will continue to insist on the adoption of specific measures at the highest possible political level.
-Many MPs constantly say that young people should come to the Euro-election. For what reasons do you think they stay away?
Young people stay away because they simply consider that the exercise of politics and even more so the European elections, do not concern their daily life and are not consistent with their experience. In order for young people to come to the polls, we must propose European and other solutions for the issues of education, housing and access to quality and well-paid jobs. All this must be done in dialogue with them. If we do not achieve this, why should they go to the polls?
-What solutions should the European Union take to support farmers?
We must protect our farmers and the necessary adjustments must be made to the Common Agricultural Policy. Greece must here and now submit its own national proposal for amending the CAP, after a dialogue with the political parties and the farming community has preceded it. Immediate measures must be taken to support the farmer’s income, creating a net of protection against unfair competition from third countries that drive prices below the permissible limit, while we must establish incentives for our young people to turn to the agricultural profession, so that prevent rural desertification phenomena. What I strongly believe is that we must continue and invest in the cooperative nature of agricultural production, encourage the state, but also the EU to invest in cooperative ventures that will develop the necessary resilience in the face of the drastic changes brought about by the climate crisis. I note that the extreme right chose this issue to polarize the political climate. I wonder why since they are the architects of the problem for the last 15 years. Maybe that’s why. We must not deconstruct the European Green Deal, the adoption of which was a decisive step on the part of the EU to combat climate change and which also concerns farmers directly and crucially.
– Is it agreed that with two ongoing wars, the European “map” will be different in a few years and, if so, what will be Greece’s position?
The immutability of the European map passes through the territorial integrity of Ukraine. Any change of borders in the European territories must be avoided at all costs, in order to curb any appetites of revisionist forces, such as Turkey. As far as Gaza is concerned, the need for a ceasefire is imperative. This humanitarian disaster cannot continue. After that, alignment with UN Security Council resolutions and the two-state solution. The EU is an enterprise that eliminated war in Europe and must today participate and impose solutions to regional conflicts that directly affect it. In addition, it must create the conditions for the formation of a common European defense policy that will enrich and upgrade its relationship with NATO. Within this framework, Greece must move and become more active in undertaking the relevant initiatives required, always with a view to defending its national sovereignty and its borders. In addition, there is a historic opportunity for our defense industry, which is about our national sovereignty but also about many good jobs.
-In Greece, one of the top topics is Demographics. What steps should the EU take to help?
The approach to dealing with Demographics cannot be isolated. If we do not invest in social Europe as a whole, we cannot expect sustainable management of the problem, which is now taking on a pan-European character, because in addition to being Greeks, we are also Europeans. It is not enough to simply subsidize the new couple with a one-time financial aid or to introduce a new ministerial structure without a practical object, but to create that network of institutions and benefits that relieve parenthood from the burdens of everyday life. We must seriously discuss building a robust European welfare state that will guarantee a decent standard of living for all while deepening the social dimension of Cohesion, which has incorporated the European Pillar of Social Rights at its core. But in order to do this, the maximum possible coordination at the level of responsibilities and financial resources is needed by drawing up an integrated strategy that will include specific actions, milestones and interventions. That is why I have publicly supported the necessity of a greater emphasis by the European Commission on Demography, in order to ensure the long-term, as well as the pan-European character of the demographic policy, which will have a horizon beyond the established six-year programming period followed in its structural funds EU.
– Do you think that the results of the European elections will be a harbinger of developments for the political scene in Greece?
I believe that the result of the European elections may contain a message to the government and cause a crack in the artificial image of political hegemony of the government. I hope that the Greek citizens will see the necessity of the existence of an opposition for the smooth functioning of democracy, at the same time forming the conditions for the reversal of political correlations. At the same time, we must fight for the electoral limitation of the political forces that are placed in the area of the extreme right, which are currently a major threat in Europe as well. With our program, principles and ideas we will succeed.
-As an Achaean, do you have information about the major projects in the area that are pending and what you can do to support them?
I follow the course of the projects not only of Achaia, but of the entire PDE. Achaia cannot move forward alone if Western Greece lags behind. The main unresolved infrastructure issues facing Achaia are the following:
The delay in the completion procedures of the road network (Patra-Pyrgos) and its connection with Araxos airport. The new port of Patras to be modernized at last. To offer businesses infrastructure that strengthens their competitiveness, so that they are not forced to leave for Piraeus and jobs are lost. The exploitation of the sea front of Patras. Tackling coastal erosion and finally the railway. In this direction I am a strong ally from my position in the European Parliament.
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