Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said a now acute demographic problem in Greece existed before his hard left SYRIZA party assumed power in 2015, and that a solution requires a long-term strategy and not isolated measures, an indirect criticism of his main political rival.
In detailing his strategy to solve the demographic slide, and to reversing a trend whereby deaths exceed births, evident since 2010, Tsipras pointed to more jobs, expanding the social state, improving the education and social security systems and what he called a "policy to integrate migrants".
In fact, Tsipras told deputies during a debate in Parliament on the demographic situation that employment is primary reason for the low birth rate.
In terms of immigration to the east Mediterranean country, he said the integration of migrants into Greek society should not be considered as a "threat but as an asset," referring to NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo as an example. Moreover, he charged that the opposition's past policies have denied citizenship to roughly 200,000 minors born in Greece to parents without Greek citizenship.
