It is not the opposition picking up the gauntlet against the economic narrative of the government.
It is Giannis Bratakos, president of ACCI and former close associate of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who decided to speak in the language of the market and point his finger precisely at the element that Maximos Mansion wishes to present as its great advantage: at the real effectiveness of the TIF measures.
«When will we see results?»
The criticism by Bratakos is sharp because it does not simply challenge the magnitude of the interventions. It challenges their timing and effectiveness.
The 120 installments do not appear sufficient for the needs of businesses, advance tax payment is reduced at a pace that leaves the market unsatisfied, while a series of tax reliefs are deferred in time. And here lies the problem for the government: the market does not live on government presentations and PowerPoint. It lives on cash flows, taxes, operating costs, and obligations running every month. They no longer have liquidity.
The TIF that failed to enthuse entrepreneurs
The government narrative seeks to frame the TIF package as a major breathing space for society.
Bratakos, however, essentially steps forward to say that for a significant portion of entrepreneurship, this breathing space is neither sufficient nor immediate.
The abolition of the business levy at staggered intervals, the minor changes to imputed income that will only be reflected late, in the tax returns of 2028, and the gradual implementation of other interventions create the image of an administration asking the market to wait.
Only the market has already waited a great deal.
The political message carries greater weight
And here begin the difficulties for Maximos Mansion.
Because Bratakos is not an outside observer.
He was a figure from the prime ministerial inner circle, knows the operational mechanism of the government, and knows how decisions are made. He was the No. 2 of the Mitsotakis government and now appears to express the discontent of the market instead of defending the governmental «success story».
What changed and why now?
The question that remains to be answered is why Bratakos chose at this moment to raise the tone so markedly.
Is it merely the institutional voice of ACCI, or is there a deeper political dissatisfaction with economic planning?
And yet another question, more backstage: How much is his wife, Elena Rapti, who is in the government, affected by this statement?
Be that as it may, the damage to the government narrative is tangible.
When a person who until recently was so close to Maximos Mansion comes out today and essentially says that the measures fall short, arrive late, and do not fully address the needs of the market, the government faces a problem that cannot be resolved through communications leaks.
Because this time, criticism originates from a person who knows very well what transpires behind closed doors.
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