During the socialist period, the government became too big. That created a crowding-out effect in the private economy, and it gave everybody the need to pay more taxes in order to finance this big government. We are against big government. We want a smaller and more efficient government.

Other countries have access to the markets, whereas Greece does not. Therefore, we have to get liquidity through the ECB.

We are a pivotal part of the European Union. Any destabilization of Greece would totally rock the boat.

It was a culture that business is something bad - it was a leftist-oriented psychology. We have to break this. We are pro-business.

Greece's position in Europe will not be put in doubt.

I do not want Greece to become the negative paradigm for the others - i.e. "make sure you follow exactly what we tell you, otherwise you will be like Greece."

Very serious mistakes were made by previous governments, and Greece was ready to be abandoned by its partners and to leave the eurozone, which would have created total catastrophe.