Kouvelis: SYRIZA not responsible for worsening condition of the middle class

The greatest losses suffered by the middle class were not inflicted by SYRIZA's government, Shipping Ministry Fotis Kouvelis said on Monday, speaking to the radio station "Sto Kokkino".

"If someone looks at what happened to medium-sized professionals over the past period, it becomes clear that the stagnation and decline of the middle class occurred before the end of 2014," he explained, adding that SYRIZA had made specific moves to support the middle classes and called on the Greek people to compare the actions taken by SYRIZA with what had gone before.

"I am not referring only to the exit from the memoranda... I am also referring to all those that essentially constitute the progressive policy that the SYRIZA government implemented in crucial sectors," he said.

Referring to the plan for the development of 10 large ports in the country, he underlined that the Greek state is proceeding with the organisation of tenders aiming to attract investments in several sectors, depending on each port, while adding that the government has adopted the European model, applied in 86 pct of major European ports.

"We do not hand over ownership to some companies. The Greek state retains ownership but in a different way to that adopted with Cosco in Piraeus port and with the port of Thessaloniki," Kouvelis said.