Climate crisis, the migration issue and economic governance were the three key points of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ statements at the end of the EUMED9 Summit held in Valetta on Friday.
Regarding the climate crisis, the Greek premier noted that a balance has to be struck between a long-term mitigation agenda and the short-term solution to the climate crisis’ impact. “At the moment we do not have such a balance,” Mitsotakis noted, before calling for European aid funds for the immediate relief of those affected by natural disasters.
About the isssue of migration, Mitsotakis said that it should be the European nations that decide who enters the European Union, “not the human traffickers,” and he noted that considerable progress has been made about this issue at European level.
It would be safer, underlined Mitsotakis, if European nations “were able to ensure that migrant-carrying vessels do not depart shores towards the Mediterranean.” He also referred to relations with Turkiye, and also spoke of setting specific criteria regarding asylum applicants.
“We should have a common policy,” he said, and noted that the entry of people “who want to help and contribute to the development of Europe should be made possible, but in our own terms.”
On economic governance, Mitsotakis emphasized that “we should not repeat the mistakes of the past, that mandate fiscal adjustments which lead to further recession.” Elaborating, he noted that “we should return to the (European) Commission’s proposal, which gives states the ability to set our own fiscal adjustments and have investments, protecting our autonomy.”
