ATHENS – The Greek economy under New Democracy (ND) rule has shown “great resilience and contains a strong dynamic,” the ruling party’s rapporteur Lazaros Tsavdaridis said during the opening of the debate on the 2023 state budget in Parliament’s plenary on Tuesday.

In the presence of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and party leaders, MP Tsavdaridis reviewed the achievements of the government in the economy, including its growth rate and hope for achieving investment-grade status. The economy, he said, “was upgraded 11 times in the last three years, with 4 of these during the energy crisis,” bringing the economy one step below investment grade, which he called “a national goal of vital importance” for its future prospects. In addition, he noted that the economy in 2023 will return to primary surpluses for the general government (0.7% of the GDP, from a primary deficit of 1.6% this year), while foreign investments have so far exceeded 5 billion euros.

The ND deputy also criticized the main opposition party for “obsessive faith in nihilistic criticism,” “repetition of tragic mistakes of the past,” and of being “immobilized and stuck in delusions and political irresponsibility.” In contrast to SYRIZA, he added, the government of ND does not link the goal of primary surpluses with the bleeding the middle class and going after healthy businesses, or filling state coffers with bloated taxes and an explosive rise of insurance contributions.