Speaking to Parapolitika 90.1, Georgiadis claimed that Marinakis had expressed a personal opinion.
‘Fortunately, we in New Democracy are not communists. We encourage freedom of speech and thought. Mr Marinakis had every right to express his opinion, even if he is a government spokesperson’, he said.
The health minister described the issue as ‘very complex’, noting that unemployment benefit is contributory, funded through deductions from employees’ wages and employers’ contributions, and serves as a ‘social safety net’.
Georgiadis raised the question of whether, with unemployment close to 6% and businesses saying they are unable to find workers, the system should instead be redirected towards subsidising employment. He said the issue was complex and could not be settled ‘on the spot’.
He also referred to legislation introduced during his tenure at the labour ministry, under which tourism workers who are unemployed for three months during the winter can work legally for up to 12 days a month without losing their unemployment benefit.
‘It’s an interesting discussion. No one is abolishing any unemployment benefits’, he concluded.
Marinakis had reiterated the previous day his position that unemployment benefit should last for two months, again insisting that this was a personal opinion rather than a government position or plan, despite his role as government spokesperson and minister to the prime minister. He also accused the opposition of selectively editing his remarks, prompting reactions from opposition parties.
Meanwhile, New Democracy MP Stelios Petsas described Marinakis’s statement on unemployment benefits as ‘inappropriate’, arguing that ‘the government spokesperson does not have a personal position’. He also said he disagreed with the proposal itself, stressing that unemployment benefit is a contributory insurance right for workers and acts as a ‘safety net’ if they lose their jobs.
Labour and social security minister Niki Kerameus similarly clarified last week that ‘unemployment benefit is an insurance, contributory right. It is not welfare’.
By contrast, former New Democracy minister Makis Voridis defended the view that unemployment benefit should not last for more than two months.
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