Stefanos Kasselakis in La Stampa: Mitsotakis knows I can beat him”

‘ A new Greek pride and become again, the Greeks, proud of the future, not just the ancient past,” his president wishes as he told La Stampa. Stefanos Kasselakis spoke about the young, his short military service and as he said he would propose a new tax system. In his interview with La Stampa he described Alexis Tsipras as a good man and pointed out that Mitsotakis “knows I can win him”. In the question about “what margin of manoeuvre remains on the Left, the moment Mitsotakis proceeds to progressive reforms and he is a former American banker” saying features… “The equal marriage I wanted, must be made clear. Public health is fragmented, wages are inadequate. If I were Minister of Mitsotaki, I’d have a popularity of 70%. But he is America’s “yes man” and he does not gain anything in the interest of Greece. He’s afraid of me because I’m an underdog. He knows I can beat him in the polls.” Speaking of his brief military service, Stefanos Kasselakis replied: “It was an important opportunity to talk to young people, which I usually fail to do. I am usually approached by older people who protest and encourage me. I’m not in the system, I’m not a congressman. I have zero political experience. That’s why I think I’m a success. I’m who I am and I won’t change. That is why I encouraged the children with whom I served, the generation after mine, the 20s, to have great dreams, to believe in their talent. Even if they don’t go to college, they can learn English. They have the logic of “it’s Greece, if things don’t go well, what to do, that’s life”. But this is unacceptable.” According to SYRIZA’s president, “the young people in Greece deserve an effective system that offers them a good basis”. “Contacting them offered me a moral compass. No matter who attacks me or appreciates me, I have a mission,” he points out. ‘The country needs a new, simplified tax system’ Priority, in his view, is ‘tax’, because ‘the country needs a new, simplified tax system’ and ‘taxes for the lowest income should be reduced, taxation of corporate dividends above EUR 220,000, with a step-by-step taxation for businesses’. At the same time, Mr Kasselakis states that “these changes, along with new collective agreements, which were decimated, will create a healthier environment.” “Our philosophy, in Syriza, is that of collectiveness. We want solidarity, a common thought, unity,” he stresses. With reference to Italy, Stefanos Kasselakis states that “Greece, despite having natural beauties and treasures of art like Italy, does not have a strong industry that acts as a basis” and that its motto is “big government for bigison”. Proposal for a decentralisation of tourism and investment According to Syriza’s president, “it is not enough to regulate the golden visa and Airbnb, as the New Democracy does. It is not enough in a town of four million citizens and in a country with ten million inhabitants.” At the same time, it proposes decentralisation of tourism and investment, supporting, through capital, the less developed areas, “that scientists and talents who left abroad” and houses with financial assistance for researchers and businesses outside Athens can return to Greece. “ Not all Mykonos and tourism, and I love Mykonos. Tourism can be our first industry, but it lasts 12 months a year and throughout the country,” says St. Kasselakis in Turin’s newspaper. “The New Democracy deals only with me, the media that controls attacks me with gossip about my vacation and other similar. But I’m creating a movement of people like me that wants to succeed in science, society, business, that doesn’t belong to the establishment. And I’m going to get away with all that commanding class of a system of interests that knows no career other than power. SYRIZA will be the first party again,” the president points out, while predicting “a percentage explosion” in the European elections. Asked about “the mistakes of Alexis Tsipras”, he replied that “for 2015 he could speak hours, but is the subject of historians” and added: “Alexis is a good man. He did his best to give voice to people’s anguish, saved many people who were in danger of starving, gave health care to 2.5 million citizens who were without cover. We can say whatever we want about naivety, but the Greek people were desperate. We left 37 billion euros in the state funds, the NW zero.”