Enraged by Privatization Plan, Greek Left Resists
Calls by Greece's ruling coalition government to speed up the sale of state-owned assets -- including state railway systems, water infrastructure, and power utilities -- compelled Syriza, the left coalition party, to say the move was tantamount to putting a 'for sale sign' on the country and would not be tolerated by the Greek people.
Greece's main opposition party has accused the country's ruling coalition of wanting to sell Greece's resources on the cheap.
Alexis Tsipras, head of Syriza, told parliament on Saturday he was especially warning those who want to 'grab state property on the cheap'. He has previously warned would-be buyers of state assets that they could lose all their money and face potential criminal proceedings.
"The government will have to account for its actions, the looting of public goods," Tsipras said, accusing Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and his ministers of reneging on an electoral promise to revisit the bailout agreement.
The privatization scheme, according the Associated Press, would include over 28 state properties, including the state natural gas, water and betting companies, the rights to development the former Athens airport, other airports, state-owned marinas, and the state railways. The privatization of Public Power Corporation will come at a later stage, said finance minister Yannis Stournaras Stournaras before parliament. http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/07/08
= new reply since forum marked as read
