Nikos Romanos, the digital communication director for the Greek prime minister, has sharply criticized former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras over new economic proposals presented in Thessaloniki, warning that the policy platform would cost 13 billion euros annually without a viable financial plan.
Speaking on state broadcaster ERT on Thursday morning, Romanos stated that the package of measures unveiled by Tsipras outstripped even his controversial 2014 Thessaloniki Program, which had been priced at 11 billion euros.
Romanos sarcastically congratulated the opposition figure for surpassing his previous commitments and mocked the idea that Tsipras had undergone any political rebranding. He argued that the former leader had instead returned to making uncosted and unreliable promises to the public.
The official stressed that he would not engage in a serious line-by-line debate over the speech, asserting that doing so would insult the intelligence of both government officials and television viewers.
Unfunded promises and revenue claims
Romanos pointed out that Tsipras was repeating past claims regarding how his economic plans would be financed. He recalled that in 2014, in 2023, and again in his latest speech, Tsipras claimed funds would be generated by tackling corruption, tax evasion, and smuggling.
In a scathing remark, Romanos offered a second sarcastic congratulation to Tsipras for dramatically boosting vegetation in Thessaloniki by filling the city with money trees.
He further linked the funding of the state proposals to current public debates surrounding the finances of Tsipras's political party. Romanos remarked that because money appeared to rain down on his party, Tsipras had grown confused and assumed the same could happen for the Greek national budget.
Background and political context
Alexis Tsipras served as Prime Minister of Greece between 2015 and 2019, leading the left-wing Coalition of the Radical Left, known as Syriza. His original Thessaloniki Program was unveiled in September 2014 ahead of the national election that brought his party to power the following year. Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city, traditionally hosts annual policy announcements by political leaders during its international trade fair.
Romanos serves under Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, whose New Democracy party defeated Syriza in 2019. ERT is Greece's national public radio and television broadcaster.
Warnings on future taxation
Looking ahead to the impact of such financial plans, Romanos warned that unless clear revenue sources are explicitly identified, the only available mechanism to fund such spending is increased taxation. He concluded that this outcome had already been demonstrated during Tsipras's previous term in office from 2015 to 2019.
