It was shortly before the January, 2015, elections that the current prime minister and then main opposition leader in parliament warned foreign investors not to invest in our country because “they will lose their money”.

Mr. Tsipras himself has changed, as he admitted in the European Parliament yesterday. That change fortunately includes the understanding that the country needs investments to achieve economic growth and create jobs.

The need for investments fortunately was underlined by the prime minister at this year’s Thessaloniki International Fair, but also in the past. Unfortunately, however, his words were not accompanied by deeds.

The government’s stance is keeping investors away, as is the prime minister himself, when he says that a hospital was “almost stolen” from the state. What will prospective investors assume after such a declaration – that they may face a prison term if they invest?

Another thing that is shooing away investors is the Folli Follie scandal, which remains open due to the mishandling of the case by authorities. The same holds true for the delays in the investment in the development of the seaside Elliniko area, as well as other cases.

Prime Ministers and governments are judged by their deeds, not by their words. Investments do not come from rhetorical invitations, but rather from the creation of a suitable investment environment.

The prime minister has a duty to create that environment, not only because in the past he himself shooed away investors, but because hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens are in search of employment.

Τελευταία Νέα