A subsidy-based approach

“Another month of high electricity prices has been addressed with the well-known subsidy policy—a method the government once criticised as the opposition but now implements,” Parasiris said. He described the policy as a “carousel” where consumers’ and taxpayers’ money is recycled through the Energy Transition Fund as subsidies, without addressing the root causes of market inefficiencies.

The Ministry, he argued, has opted to subsidise households with €7.50 each, rather than introducing measures to tackle the structural problems of the electricity market.

Data discrepancies

PASOK called on the Ministry to use Eurostat data for transparency when comparing electricity tariffs. Parasiris claimed that the government’s presentation of a 15% reduction in electricity costs between 2023 and 2024 was inaccurate. According to Eurostat’s publicly available data, the actual reduction is only 6%, two and a half times lower than the figure cited by the Ministry.

He directed attention to Eurostat’s database, accessible via the European Statistical Office’s website, and emphasised that the government’s narrative had been undermined by the persistent cost-of-living crisis.

“Communication tricks versus reality”

“Communication tricks may be convenient, but the truth is better,” Parasiris said, pointing out that the modest reduction in electricity costs is negligible when set against the backdrop of rising expenses that continue to burden Greek households.

Source verification

The Eurostat database cited by PASOK can be accessed here. The discrepancy between government claims and Eurostat’s figures underscores the need for clarity in presenting data to the public, PASOK argues.

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