Leader of New Democracy Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited the Proti village in the Serres region in Northern Greece on Saturday, the birthplace of Konstantinos G. Karamanlis, the founder of New Democracy and four-time Prime Minister and twice President of the Hellenic Republic.

Mitsotakis is on a three-day tour of Central Macedonia, ahead of upcoming European and local government elections in May.

In the city of Serres, Mitsotakis walked the village and talked with locals, farmers and producers of goods, answering questions concerning taxation and the economy, telling supporters that “you will not hear lies from me…because I promise only as much as I can do.”

The ND leader assured farmers and producers that New Democracy’s framework program will decrease taxation, and that this will provide relief against the costs of production, or as producers put it “paying from the field to the food on the table.”

In the village of Neo Souli, responding to journalists, Mitsotakis made the following statement: “I am delighted to visit Serres once again during this three-day tour in Central Macedonia. The message that I get from every corner in Greece and here in Serres is clear: the need for a major political change, so that the country can finally move forward, with new jobs, reduced taxation, to propel the economy ahead and to prevent young professionals from migrating abroad in search of opportunities,” said Mitsotakis.

“I believe this message will be expressed in a deafening way at the ballot box,” he added.

Regarding his long-standing commitment to develop policies that protect the labeling of goods produced in Macedonia, Mitsotakis said that “we are committed to a comprehensive development plan for Macedonia, which will highlight the great comparative advantages of Northern Greece and especially of Macedonia,” and also stressed the need to “protect the name of Macedonia, the brand of Macedonia, through an organized communication strategy with the Central Macedonia region and with support from the central state.”

Mitsotakis was also asked about the issue that arose by Albania reportedly deciding to confiscate properties and homes of Greek minority expatriate residents in the Himara region of southern Albania, saying that “the latest decision by the Albanian government…openly questions the rights of the Greek minority.”

Mitsotakis said he wants to send a “clear message to the Albanian government,” from Serres, emphasizing that “it is not possible to start the process of Albania’s EU accession when there is absolutely no respect for the rights of the Greek ethnic minority,” and concluded by saying that “this is not an issue that concerns only Greece, it concerns Europe, it concerns the European acquis, it concerns the European rule of law.”