Idle talk chips away at trust
It’s only natural that voters are unhappy with the government’s decision to impose new taxes. What is unprecedented, on the other hand, is the administration’s speculation of additional measures, including an assessment of income based on expenses (known here as «tekmirion»), an unfortunate stance that has fueled public disgruntlement. Responsibility for the sore mood lies exclusively with Giorgos Alogoskoufis, Greece’s economy and finance minister. It was he who started the debate with very poor timing in comments to the national press and in public statements. Alogoskoufis’s remarks have fed the uncertainty among voters and fueled uncertainty in the markets. After all, it is clear that he would not return to tekmirion-based measures that he himself has lifted. The best Alogoskoufis can do to stabilize the Greek economy would be to stop interviews and informal briefings. In any case, he should not announce any new measures before he can be sure that his government has the means to see them through.
