Greek Youth Unemployment Rate Stands at 57%: MP
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Elena Panaritis, a member of Greece's financial crisis negotiating team, said the country’s youth unemployment rate has risen to 57% and the situation is getting worse.
"It is very bad and unfortunately it’s getting only worst. Other than 30% regular unemployment and close to 57% youth unemployment we also have to deal with high level of informal employment that does not get registered and no Social Security is collected," Panaritis told Tasnim.
Following is the full text of the interview.
Q: What is your opinion about (Greek Prime Minister) Alexis Tsipras's performance in 2015?
A: He is a very charismatic Greek politician. He has managed to engage the far radical left into the reform of the country. He is smart and has a good grip of the pulse of the average Greek.
Q: How do you evaluate the unemployment situation in Greece?
A: It is very bad and unfortunately it’s getting only worst. Other than 30% regular unemployment and close to 57% youth unemployment we also have to deal with high level of informal employment that does not get registered and no Social Security is collected.
Q: What is your proposal for resolving EU economic crisis in 2016?
A: This is a very large question that requires a serious exposition of the problem and of the solution options. For the sake of brevity I will explain in a summary fashion what I think should happen.
The full EU and EZone needs to undertake a serious level of productivity reform this means that all countries must deregulate their labor markets, product markets, bureaucratic processes and reduce administrative burdens. Also they must all open their closed professions. These reforms are key because they will unlock innovation and productivity something that the EU countries are not good these days and they fall behind China. The EZ has not had any increase in GDP growth since 2008 till 2015 - their economies need to modernize and innovate. Now once such a serious reform will take place then we in Greece can also do the same. Today the problem is that when we try to do reforms as the ones I mentioned earlier we find resistance by unions who find a ear of compassion in the EZ.
Q: What is your prediction of how the Greek economy will be in 2016?
A: I am not very optimistic. We have been running a 6 year recession. It’s too much and we have not been able to focus on productivity changes but only on taxing everything there is and there is not to tax.
Q: Do you believe that Iran can be a lucrative market for European companies in the wake of the recent nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers and the upcoming removal of anti-Tehran sanctions?
A: I think so yes.
Q: What will the future hold in terms of economic opportunities in Iran after the sanctions relief?
A: Trading would be one obvious one. And especially that of knowhow.
Q: How do you see the economic ties between Iran and Greece during the tenure of President Rouhani?
A: I would expect that it will increase the trade between the 2 countries
Q: Do you think Greece should promote its economic ties with EU rather than Russia?
A: We have good relations with Russia but better with EU.
Q: Do you have any suggestions for solving the crisis gripping the refugees fleeing violence in Syria and elsewhere in Middle East and North Africa?
A: We need to resolve the problem out there in the source so we avoid to have all these waves of refugees in our boarders. It’s a shame that we try to solve a problem after it become (s) very large. We should prevent it first and handle it at its route.