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Anastasia Balezdrova

Dora Bakogiannis called the leaders of PASOK and New Democracy “incorrigible" and accused them of continuing to make unrealistic promises to the voters in order to attract them. She also rebukes Evangelos Venizelos and Antonis Samaras, because they cannot find a consensus to hold a televised debate. However, she said her party openly wants the formation of a coalition government and explained that new elections will be disastrous for Greece.

The leader of the Democratic Alliance said that the party will participate in a coalition government based on framework agreements, and the leading requirement is deep structural reforms. "The Greek people are right in not wanting to nominate a single government because they know that one party is not able to cope alone with the problems."

Dora Bakogiannis said that the number of parliament members should be reduced from 300 to 200 and their salaries and state funding of parties should be cut by 50 percent. "It is not normal for citizens to continue to pay high taxes in order to support public servants," she said, adding that all state enterprises should be privatized and their employees should become private employees.

"Coalitions are needed not only in politics but in society as well," she said, and gave examples of different professional groups, which do not want to be deprived of their privileges or others, such as port workers, who are hampering the work of others and by doing this they create problems for all involved in the tourism sector.

"We were against the implementation of the measure of labour reserve in the public sector. This was a wrong idea of ​​New Democracy, which PASOK applied in an equally wrong way, without evaluating the employees," she said. "Right now there are one million unemployed, fired by private companies for whom nobody is crying. Moreover, the firms where they worked previously, are going bankcrupt. There is no way for the economy to recover like this. The state needs to pay its obligations immediately, which amount to 6.8 billion Euros, to these companies so they can continue to exist," she said, and promised to be the ambassador of these people in the new parliament.

The leader of the Democratic Alliance condemned the measures taken by the Minister of Civil Protection Michalis Chrysohoidis against illegal immigration and said the problem can be solved only through purposeful action. Among them is the establishment of reception centres for illegal immigrants in the territory of Turkey. She revealed that during her term in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the negotiations on this issue were advancing, but after PASOK took over power in 2009 they stopped. "A barrier is created in this way. Moreover, such centres will send a message to potential immigrants that they cannot easily reach European territory." Dora Bakogiannis said that the reception centres for immigrants in Greece were not built, "because during the last two years the provided European funds were not utilized." She pointed out that the presence of Frontex forces is not enough and that European presence in the Greek borders should increase.

Dora Bakogiannis stressed that Greece's future can only be considered within Europe, "because it is the one supporting us." According to her the expectations of some politicians that the eventual election of Francois Åland for president of France will totally change European politics, are devoid of any meaning. "But I believe new debate on the future of the European Union will begin. Despite Germany’s inhibitions I believe that by the end of the year Eurobonds will be issued, which will boost development. But everyone who believes that policy for budgetary discipline will be suspended, are simply lying to themselves. It will be a requirement for all countries in Europe."

The Democratic Alliance leader defined her party as a "force
of stability" and accused the various "anti-memorandum" formations as irresponsible. She made special attacks against the Communist Party, which is organizing strikes and protests and thus thwarts the manufacturing process. "In this way she does not help either the unemployed to find jobs or those who have jobs to keep them." Dora Bakogiannis called SYRIZA "the most retrograde force existing in Greece today" and described as dangerous the statements made by its leader Alexis Tsipras, who is ready to make a union even with the extreme right "Independent Greeks" of Panos Kamenos, just to take power. "I cannot say anything else except that there are faster ways to become North Korea," she commented on a possible alliance between the two parties.

Dora Bakogiannis expressed her conviction that "the Greek people are deeply democratic and with each passing day they are moving further away from the possibility of bringing the "Golden Dawn" Nazis into parliament.

"Currently about 30 percent of voters have still not decided who they will vote for. According to recent surveys the Democratic Alliance has the best chance to enter parliament, among the three liberal formations. 80 percent of our candidates run for the first time. We want to be a force of logic and responsibility in the next parliament." She urged Greeks to vote for her party, if not for anything else, because "we are the only ones who do not hide surprises for them after the elections. We announce everything we believe in and we want to do from now."