Hatzidakis 'shocked' by German, Dutch 'cowardice and lack of vision'

"I was shocked by the stance of Germany, the Netherlands and other countries of north; I had expected greater flexibility and understanding. We are facing a tragedy that exceeds the strength of us all. Europe actively practice the principles of solidarity, of rights, sensitivity, humanity and social justice," the minister said.

Referring to the fourth set of measures announced on Monday, Hatzidakis said that they cover many groups of enterprises and thousands of workers. He added, however, that in case there is a new resurgence of the epidemic in autumn, we must save our strength because we do not know how long the crisis will last. He also said that the recession will be deep, as vital sectors of the Greek economy, such as tourism and shipping, have been hit hard.

"We are fighting to keep possible damages minimal but there will be some damage," he said

Finally, referring to energy issues, he underlined that a guarantee mechanism for energy companies will be announced in the next couple of days that wil offer a liquidity 'buffer' and allow them to support the measures for easing the impact on consumers. "Without the energy companies there is no economy or public health," he concluded.