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Greek PM pledges tax relief ahead of general elections

Xinhua, January 10, 2015 Adjust font size:

Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras presented his conservative party's platform on Saturday, pledging gradual tax relief measures and development-boosting policies for post-bailout Greece ahead of the January 25 snap general elections.

"If I could sum up in just a few words ND's economic program and growth philosophy, I would say: rifts, reforms, competitiveness everywhere," Samaras said addressing a gathering in a central Athens hotel.

Under a banner of the New Democracy (ND) party's main slogan in this year's election campaign, which reads "We are telling people the truth. We guarantee the future", the Premier outlined a "realistic" strategy to safeguard Greece's exit from the debt crisis which brought it to the brink of default since 2010.

The bailout deals struck with international lenders to keep the country afloat and restore growth, expire in late February.

Samaras on Saturday pointed to recent positive economic indexes after the implementation of a harsh austerity and reform program and promised a comprehensive post-bailout growth plan which includes further structural reforms to boost competitiveness.

He also pledged the gradual decrease of the tax load on enterprises and households in coming years and a fair social security system to support the most vulnerable groups of a society which suffered during the steep six-year recession.

The Greek leader contrasted the outgoing coalition's economic program which led to remarkable fiscal consolidation results and the start of return to growth last year, as he stressed, with the main opposition Radical Left SYRIZA party's "risky" plan which foresees tougher negotiations and a potential clash with lenders on the terms of the post-bailout cooperation.

Samaras argued that since the 2012 general elections the two-party ruling coalition with the socialists prevented Greece's exit from the euro zone.

He accused SYRIZA of promoting a plan which will lead back to mounting deficits, an increasing sovereign debt and the danger of a Grexit.

He appeared confident that his party will win the upcoming election battle which comes 18 months earlier before the outgoing government's term normally expires.

Greece was forced to hold early general elections after the country's parliament failed to elect a president at the end of last year. The country is going to the polls on January 25.

"In these elections it will not be New Democracy which will win, but Greece which will win by voting for New Democracy," Samaras concluded in his speech.

All recent opinion surveys show that SYRIZA holds a slim lead over ND, which seems to be narrowing.

Pollsters in Athens noted that no party was expected to win outright parliamentary majority, therefore whoever wins will be forced to seek a coalition deal with smaller partners to rule. Enditem