ATHENS — "Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' announcements [on economic policy in Thessaloniki at the weekend] are too little, too late," stated main opposition SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance spokesperson Nassos Iliopoulos on Monday, speaking to Real FM radio. "The government's policies are part of the problem and in no way are they a solution," he added.

Iliopoulos accused the government of tanking the economy, asserting that growth had dropped from 2.8 pct of GDP, or double the European average, when it took over power "to a recession already by the end of 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic broke out".

On migration and refugees, Iliopoulos said the Greek government has not filed a single relocation request in the last year while the real news is that it has accepted that Greece and its islands will become Europe's prison.

In terms of foreign policy, he said that "Mitsotakis is not telling us the truth about the situation with respect to Turkey and we do not exactly know what the government's strategy on political and diplomatic dialogue is."

Iliopoulos noted the necessity for a more active foreign policy, adding that there must be no complacency, despite the fact that the Oruc Reis returned to Antalya, as long as the contradictory statements and the hostile climate continues.