ASTORIA, NY –
The party’s priorities were outlined by PASOK-Movement for Change (KINAL) Nikos Androulakis in an address to friends and party officials at the Minoan House in Astoria, on March 28.
Androulakis, who is visiting New York for the Greek Independence Day celebrations, said that his party placed particular emphasis on a strong public education and health, as well as a comprehensive housing policy.
“The cost of living has skyrocketed”, he said. “The ratio of incomes to cost of living is disproportionate, not just due to inflation in products but also to the rise of inflexible expenditures for health, education, and housing. In Greece we had a very strong National Health System, but today citizens are paying the second highest private expenditures for health throughout Europe, particularly now when the purchasing power of Greeks is next to the last in Europe. Many turn to private education because the public one has become devalued. In terms of rents, the numbers are revealing: in 4 years, rents rose by 52%”.
Besides mentioning the aging of the Greek population, Androulakis also noted the so-called brain drain. “Many young people do not leave Greece just for financial reasons. They also leave because of mediocrity and a lack of respect by the state to its citizens. That is why I often say that our country should become a normal European state, so that young people remain in their homeland”.
Regarding national and geopolitical issues, Androulakis said, “We want cooperation with the United States, a strong Europe, a people’s Europe, as the great social-democratic leaders envisioned it”.
