ND MP tells anyone who cannot afford €10 for petrol to “take public transport”
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A New Democracy MP, Spyros Koulkoudinas, referred to the resilience of the Greek economy and consumers in the face of rising fuel prices, using traffic on Syngrou Avenue as an example. The comments sparked reactions from opposition parties.
- 24 Σεπτεμβρίου 2026 22:35
New Democracy MP Spyros Koulkoudinas cited traffic on Syngrou Avenue as an indication that the rise in petrol prices has not affected car use.
Speaking on the Parliament Channel, he said, among other things, that “the Greek economy is holding up for now” and attempted to support his argument by saying:
“Syngrou Avenue is full. Traffic on the roads is an indicator. Is there any indicator showing that the price of petrol has increased or decreased? No indicator,” said the New Democracy MP for Pieria.
However, he did not stop there. Instead, he offered a solution to the problem…
He called on anyone who cannot afford the cost of petrol to choose alternative means of transport.
“When someone cannot afford it, they use public transport, you know. If you cannot afford to spend €10 on petrol to get to work and back, you use them. Public transport, which has been modernised significantly in recent years, has not seen an increase in usage. This is not an excuse; I am simply saying what is happening in reality,” he said.
Clarifications and reactions
The comments caused widespread reaction, prompting Spyros Koulkoudinas to return with a written statement accusing critics of a “deliberate attempt to distort” his remarks.
He argued that “unfortunately, certain media outlets chose to isolate individual phrases, completely ignoring this institutional initiative and creating an entirely false narrative. They falsely claim that I supposedly said that ‘the government is not reducing the fuel tax because there is traffic on the roads’.”
In his statement, the New Democracy MP said that during his remarks he had presented a comprehensive argument regarding the implementation of government support measures, as well as the resilience of the Greek economy in the face of international pressures.
He concluded that isolating a phrase from the broader context of his analysis and arbitrarily linking it to decisions regarding the Special Consumption Tax (SCT) constitutes “a classic example of journalistic distortion and cheap political exploitation”.
His full statement:
“Surprised and disappointed, I have been following in recent hours the deliberate attempt by certain media outlets to distort what I said in a recent television interview.
During my remarks, I presented a comprehensive argument about the way government support measures for citizens are being specified, as well as the resilience demonstrated by the Greek economy in the face of international pressures. In this context, I referred as an indicative sign of this resilience to the fact that, despite the increase in fuel prices, official indicators do not record a decline in vehicle traffic.
I also stressed with absolute clarity that the government and the Prime Minister himself intend to raise the issue immediately with the relevant bodies of the European Union, with the aim of seeking and securing the necessary fiscal space that would allow for further relief measures.
Unfortunately, certain media outlets chose to isolate individual phrases, completely ignoring this institutional initiative and constructing an entirely false narrative. They falsely present me as having said that ‘the government is not reducing the Special Consumption Tax because there is traffic on the roads’.
The isolation of a phrase from the broader context of my analysis and its arbitrary connection with decisions on the Special Consumption Tax (SCT) is a classic example of journalistic distortion and cheap political exploitation.”
As expected, Spyros Koulkoudinas’ remarks triggered reactions from the opposition.
In a statement, the deputy spokesperson of the Elliniki Lysi party, Anna Papadopoulou, said:
“We have just witnessed the modern version of ‘if they have no bread, let them eat cake’.
A New Democracy MP told us that people have money because the roads are full of cars, instead of taking public transport.
Except that the roads are full because citizens have to go to work. They are not driving around to prove to the government that they can afford their bills.
Instead of providing solutions to the cost-of-living crisis, they blame citizens who cannot afford fuel costs.
This is not simply provocative. It is cynicism and arrogance of those in power.”
