Red loans total approximately 80 billion euros

Referring to the lifting of the protection status against first-home foreclosures, he said the issue “was not discussed with the troika or anyone else,” adding it would not be discussed before December, meaning that decisions would be taken when the current protection period expires. He also noted that during the negotiations with the troika he raised the issue of granting more business loans through the National Reference Strategic Framework (NSRF).

On business loans, he noted however, the discussion had not been concluded. “The government wants to help small businesses,” Dendias said, stressing that their decreased revenues was a result of the crisis and not of their own actions. He also made clear that the government would not help “insolvent debtors, those who make use of the crisis”, saying “you cannot have a poor business with a rich businessman.”

Referring to early elections, he noted that “the government should complete its work and be judged in 2016”. He also said there “was no possibility of not electing a President of the Republic” in the upcoming electoral process and concluded by saying that right now “elections would greatly hurt the country and society.”