ATHENS – Continuing the ruling New Democracy government’s flip-flop over whether there will be snap elections in Greece,  Development Minister Adonis Georgiadis said the country can’t wait until the scheduled ballot in spring 2023.

“A long pre-election period, with extremely high intensity and toxicity, will damage the economy. As long as the opposition raises its tone while we approach the elections, this will also burden the economy,” he said, speaking on state-run broadcaster ERT.

“The economy does not like political instability… anyone who wants the country to avoid risks, will want us to have a stable government,” he added.

Asked whether the government will exhaust the four-year term, he said that “he does not know if that is possible,” with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis hinting he will call snap elections and yet that he won’t.

With inflation at a record high and people struggling to buy daily needs and the COVID-19 pandemic rising again after health measures were eased to lure tourists, the major rival SYRIZA is picking up its sniping at him.