The prime minister assured that the government is going to look for measures that will have the least negative impact on economic growth and will enable public finance consolidation. The government does not plan on approving the budget for 2014 on its regular Thursday’s meeting, wishing to present it to the Economic and Social Council on Friday first.

The PM announced she would bind a vote of confidence to the budget vote in the parliament, since she believes the latter to be the most important document in any government. “I expect to win the vote,” she added.

“The promises to Brussels and the financial markets were greater than the ones we actually fulfilled afterwards. That is why actions are so important now,” she warned critically. “From the pledges we have given to Brussels the only one still to be implemented is property tax. We wish to make no exceptions; every property will be taxed. The real estate of the Church will be taxed, too, albeit the tax will be minimal,” the PM said.

The government is going to prepare a privatization timeline
The PM confirmed there would be no "crisis tax" as well as no one-sided changes to the minimal wage system. Shadow economy is another problematic area the government plans on tackling. A concrete timeline of privatization is going to be prepared shortly, together with action steps for all state-owned companies listed for sale. “We will reach the goal. It won’t be easy, but it’s worth joining our efforts and finding a social consensus on what to do next,” the PM pointed out.
According to the prime minister, a stabile banking system is a precondition for normal functioning of the country, since a bankruptcy of any bank would prompt panic in the banking system, and no system anywhere in the world would survive such panic.

For now the PM does not plan on making any changes to the cabinet. “If I’m dissatisfied with the work of a minister, however, I will propose for them to be replaced,” she assured.