Greek industry leaders weigh in on European elections
The President of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV) Dimitris Papalexopoulos and Vice President Evangelos Mytilineos gave their opinions on the upcoming European elections at a conference moderated by Kathimerini’s Executive Editor Alexis Papachelas on Thursday.
Both men agreed that fringe candidates will gain ground in the June 9 elections. “There is a big anti-establishment wave from the left and right,” said Papalexopoulos, adding that many people are facing grim economic prospects and think that the EU is not doing enough for them.
Moreover, Mytilineos, who expressed his wish for Mario Draghi, the former Italian prime minister and European Central Bank chief, to become president of the European Commission, said that voting in European elections should be guided by merit, not popularity.
Τhey both criticized certain aspects of Brussels, with Papalexopoulos stating that EU needs to reduce bureaucracy, while Mytilineos argued that powerful EU states undermine the common market by giving subsidies to their businesses.
Nevertheless, Mytilineos said that, despite its problems, the EU is Greece’s home. “I don’t dear to think of Greece outside the European Union,” he said.
