PM Mitsotakis says escape clause for defence spending should be activated as soon as possible

In a press conference after the end of the European Council meeting on Thursday, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed the hope that a fiscal escape clause concerning defence spending will be activated as soon as possible, and also apply to 2025. He was replying to questions on European defence issues, the EU's white paper and the escape clause.

He noted that the European Commission's proposal concerns a four-year period, which he described as reasonable, "as we need time and predictability in order to increase our defence spending." In any case, he added, "I feel that this inclusion in the white paper of a standing position of the Greek government, which is now being vindicated, ...and we await the final and definitive text so we know the degree of fiscal flexibility."

Mitsotakis recalled that in early April he will present to Parliament the main axes of the new 10-year armaments plan, expressing hope that the discussion which will follow "will have different characteristics" from the discussions of recent months. "Because we can disagree on many things, but I want to believe that at least on the issues of defence spending we can find a basic common framework of understanding, as the country's deterrent capability is a prerequisite for freedom and prosperity," he added.

When asked about the opposition's reactions to Christos Triantopoulos' proposal to be referred directly to the Judicial Council, which constitutes a precedent for other political figures who may be faced with prosecutorial orders, the prime minister responded as follows: "I have already expressed a position on this issue through my statement, but I really ask that everyone look at the bigger picture for a little. I have been a member of parliament for 21 years and, since 2006, I first spoke about the need to revise Article 86 so that we do not give the impression as a political system that we have double standards when dealing with the potential criminal liability of politicians. Since then, some steps have been taken in the right direction. On our own initiative, this government majority essentially abolished the statute of limitations and now, in a brave act in my opinion, Mr. Triantopoulos is essentially doing what we were all asking for. And what is this? To be judged ultimately by his natural judge and I would say that in a way this choice, which constitutes both the choice and intention of the government majority, paves the way for a more courageous revision of article 86 in the direction we were all talking about. I really wonder how it is possible for the opposition parties, and especially PASOK, to come today and say the exact opposite of what they were saying a week ago. I don't think we are building relationships of trust between citizens and our political system this way. As a politician who has always fought in this direction, I will lead the effort to change Article 86 as I have committed to, and I think that both citizens and politicians prefer to be tried by their natural judges, in this case by the supreme court that we have, rather than having their criminal treatment become the subject of a partisan confrontation. Besides, we have seen many preliminary investigations and investigations and we know and have seen where they have ended."

The Prime Minister was then asked if plans have been made for a High-Level Council with Turkiye and his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as well as the latest developments in the neighbouring country with the arrest of Istanbul Mayor and opposition leader Ekrem Imamoglu.

He expressed “concern” about “the developments in Turkiye,”

"Respect for political freedoms is a key component of a democracy. Let me remind you that Turkiye, on paper at least, is a country in the process of joining the European Union and a country that aspires to establish closer relations with the EU. Obviously this can only be done within the framework of the European Council decisions, such as those we have negotiated in recent years. Now for the first part, no, there is still no scheduled date for my visit to Ankara," he said.

Asked whether the stance of Europe and Greece is hardening and whether any decision was made on immigration at the informal meeting of leaders in which he participated in Brussels, Mitsotakis noted: "Greece was at the forefront of this change in European immigration policy. I want to remind you that since 2020 we have been adopting a tough but fair policy that prioritises external border security. And back then, I would say that we were few in number in adopting this policy. It is now essentially commonplace that we cannot have a coherent migration policy without effective protection of the external borders and without restricting the flow of those entering the European Union illegally. And I am glad that the European Union seems to be moving towards a second priority, which is none other than effective returns. The truth is that today eight out of 10 illegal migrants who are in the EU, in Europe, that is, people who are not entitled to asylum, do not return, they stay on the European continent. And this is obviously something that needs to change. The draft regulation as proposed by the European Commission is an important step in the right direction. Greece is part of a closed group of countries that I would say are at the forefront of discussions on more innovative ideas around migration. We are immediately awaiting the publication by the European Commission of the list of safe countries of origin, safe third countries will follow, and we must (…) think out of the box to see how we will address this issue. "The government's policy on this is very clear. Anyone who is entitled to asylum in our country is welcome to remain in Greece. Anyone who is not entitled to asylum, we will do everything we can to return them to the country from which their journey began."

He was also asked about the possibility of U.S. President Donald Trump meeting with Erdogan and whether this would affect his own meeting with the US president. "I am not aware of any scheduled meeting between President Erdogan and President Trump, nor is there any scheduled meeting of mine with President Trump. I estimate that it will happen at some point, but I have nothing specific to tell you. In any case, I want to emphasise, as I have said many times, that Greek-American relations are stable, have depth, are based on common interests, and are not determined by the relationship between the United States and Turkiye. Greece is a factor, a pillar of stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and a country that I believe can be very useful in this volatile geopolitical environment. As a reliable country in the Middle East, a member of the European Union, a member of NATO, it can be extremely useful in this new vision of American foreign policy," he insisted.