Main opposition leader asks for parliamentary debate on soaring prices
The leader of Greece’s main opposition SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance, Alexis Tsipras, on Tuesday called for an off-the-agenda debate in parliament to discuss the unprecedented rise in prices and the government’s response.
“The unprecedented price hikes, given that last month we had the highest rate of inflation in the last decade (2.2 pct), drastically reduce the purchasing power of households so long as salaries remain stuck at the same level as the last three years, and create an unbearable increase in the operating costs of businesses,” Tsipras said in a letter submitted to Parliament President Konstantinos Tasoulas.
He said the government was “simply looking on,” offering reassurance and “taking inadequate and ineffective measures,” to counteract the problem, effectively “leaving the overwhelming majority of society at the mercy” of a price surge.
He also said that the government was avoiding taking specific measures to boost employee incomes, such as raising the minimum wage, reducing special consumption taxes for fuel and imposing strict controls against the formation of cartels.
[AMNA]
