ND: Greek government hates reforms, undermines those it accepts

The government of SYRIZA and ANEL hates reforms and has tried to undermine those it has been forced to accept, New Democracy Vice-President Kostis Hatzidakis said in an interview with Athens-Macedonian News Agency on Sunday.

“This government hates reforms and those it has been forced to implement, in reality it is undermining them. A typical example is Hellinikon,” Hatzidakis said, referring to the long-delayed investment in the old airport. “The left-wing views of government officials are insulted by bulldozers entering the old airport to create thousands of new jobs,” he added.

He said the government follows the same policy with the sale of stakes or concession agreements for the regional airports, DESFA, TRAINOSE, while delaying the liberalization of the energy market and the legislation on simplifying the opening of businesses. “The government shows the same obsessions and ineffectiveness everywhere,” he said.

Asked about the imminent return of the creditors’ mission chiefs in Athens next week for the second program review, ND’s Vice-president said the package of measures that will be agreed on will be “very harsh and painful”, noting it is still not clear what it will include.

In the middle of this uncertainty after the Eurogroup, the government chose to “put up a show, a Carnival fiesta”, to hide the imminent measures and obscure its negotiating failures, he added.

Asked about the political instability in the wider region and its effect on Greece’s economy, Hatzidakis said the country must remain anchored in the Eurozone to withstand the pressures.

“Exactly because we live in an extremely unstable environment with geopolitical and economic turbulence, the country’s position is in the euro and the Eurozone. And every effort must be made, consistently, to make sure the country’s position in Europe’s hard core is not questioned again.”