Mitsotakis eyes shift in agenda for Greek-German economic ties
A victory by conservative New Democracy in upcoming general elections would wipe out Greece's "country risk" for potential investors and make it incomparably more attractive for direct foreign investment, ND leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Monday following talks in Athens with representatives of large German businesses.
The political landscape in Greece for the first time appears to be more stable than in many other European countries, Mitsotakis said, noting that this could give Greece a competitive edge.
However, despite the significant fiscal adjustment that Greece has achieved, the country's growth model has not changed to the extent that it should, as reflected in the fact that the increase in exports is small and foreign investments remain at a low level, he said.
As regards, Greek-German economic relations, he highlighted the need for a "change in a agenda," eyeing a shift from the relationship of creditor-debtor that has existed for so many years to a new framework of mutually beneficial cooperation based on investments.
He also presented the basic pylons of ND's economic program which include a new, more stable tax system foreseeing a reduction of tax rates and the introduction of tax breaks, investments in research and growth.
He also highlighted the need for a reduction bureaucracy for businesses and a reduction in the cost of borrowing for enterprises as well as a speeding up of the judicial system.
