PM Tsipras in Kozani: ‘’Εlite politics divide, SYRIZA unites’’

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, accompanied by an entourage of government and regional officials, started his Saturday public speech in the city of Kozani, in northern Greece, by saying that "Greece's heart, the Greece of hard work and creativity, democracy, social justice and prosperity(...)the heart of true patriotism is beating right here today, in Western Macedonia," before moving on to what he called the government's struggle to lead the country out of the memoranda.

Tsipras said Greece is not seeking 'revenge' on the genocide of Pontic Greeks 100 years ago, "but it does ask for recognition and justice," he added, ahead of the May 19 Pontic Greeks Genocide Remembrance Day.

The PM then referred to what he called 'the propagandic mechanism' that was set up against the government's Prespes Agreement, and said "Greece of democracy and social justice, gives the answer, right here, in Western Macedonia, to all the so-called 'patriots', the jingoist nationalists," with a message of "determination, togetherness and victory from all across the country."

The country's lenders, the Troika of financial institutions, "we sent them away," he said, referring to Greece's exit from the loan memoranda in August 2018, "because we support the great social majority, the Greece 'of the many'," added the PM.

"We put a stop to money-related crimes, corruption, and financial greed in the health sector," he said, adding that public health expenditure during the SYRIZA government went up to 3 billion euros from a mere 700 million euros in previous governments.

The 200 and 300 euro pension benefits paid out by SYRIZA is only "a waiter's tip" as far as New Democracy is concerned, said Tsipras, and went on to say that Greek society is recovering, while the government is reducing taxes in the context of fresh anti-austerity measures, calling the opposition's financial program "beneficial to the elite few, unjust to 'the many'."

Finally, the prime minister addressed voters in personal terms, and said "friend, next Sunday, at the European elections, you have a choice, to either vote for confidence in the relief measures and our plan for the reversal of injustices and economic revival, or take the other 'door' to the past," he added.

"New Democracy's ticket represents the negation of relief, anti-austerity measures," Tsipras underlined.

"The victims and the perpetrators do not share the same interests," said Tsipras, before adding that "we are not the ones who divide(...)Greece of 'the many' could never divide, your elite politics, however, do just that-and only that."