In a renewed attack on the Greek government in an interview with Open TV on Holy Wednesday, the main opposition SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance President, Μr Alexis Tsipras, blamed the Greek Prime Minister, Mr Kyriakos Mitsotakis, for the very high electricity prices in Greece, saying this was a direct result of his policy choices.
“We don’t want money trees; we want to cut down the thievery-trees,” Mr Tsipras said, noting that Greece has had the “highest price per MWh for months now”. He pointed out that the price of power in Greece approached 280 euros, whereas in Spain and Portugal – which had succeeded in uncoupling of power prices from those of natural gas – the price was 112 euros.
“In Greece this is passed on in its entirety to the consumer. Is this the free market? Zero risk for the producer?” Mr Tsipras asked.
The main opposition leader repeated that SYRIZA-PA wants to redress the repercussions of an abrupt phasing out of lignite and the privatisation of the Public Power Corporation (PPC), noting that this would not have any fiscal cost, while he repeated the necessity for a ceiling on wholesale power prices and an intervention in the energy exchange.
Asked to comment on the fact that the energy exchange was introduced under the previous SYRIZA government, Mr Tsipras said that this had been a European directive that all governments were obliged to implement but that, in Greece’s case, this was being done in a “skewed” manner.
“It is murderous for households. It is a criminal policy for Greek society,” he added, while holding the prime minister to account for failing to do anything about what the European Commission had called the “windfall profits” of energy companies, the lion’s share of which went to the PPC.
“They have plundered the pockets of consumers for profits, so that the ‘blue’ golden boys can earn astronomical salaries,” he said.
Latest News
Greek FinMin Says Digital Work Card Tackling Undeclared Work
Greece's recently launched digital work card aimed at tackling undeclared labor has already started to produce results, said Economy and Finance Minister Kostis Hatzidakis
MSC Cruises: More than 400 Visits to Nine Greek Destinations
MSC Cruises, a subsidiary of international shipping line Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A, will be sailing to Greek ports as of this month, expanding operations in the region year-round
Eurostat: Greece Among Cheaper Hourly Labor Cost Zones
In contrast, the countries that posted the highest hourly labor costs are Luxembourg (53.9 euros), Norway (51.9 euros), Iceland
GSEVEE: Economic Sentiment Indicator in Greece Down in Q2 2023
The drop follows a significant uptick in the ESI in the second half of 2022 (69.5 units) and a slight decline in the first half of 2023 (66.7 units)
Manpower Report: Sectors in Greece that Have Achieved Full Gender Equality in the Workplace
Greece surpasses this with 45%, showcasing progress but also room for improvement. Sectors like Consumer Goods and Services lead with 69% reporting full equality globally
Bank of America (BofA): Three Reasons Greek Economy Outperforms EC Average
BofA projects growth of 1.1% in 2024 and 1.7% in 2025, compared to forecasts for eurozone growth at 0.4%/1.1%, respectively
UniCredit: Greece’s Economy Set to Regain Momentum
This projection is based on the understanding that certain factors that hindered growth in the latter part of the preceding year, such as flood-related agricultural losses, abrupt adjustments in housing investments, and postponed public projects, were temporary setbacks
Council of the EU Adopts Environmental Crime Law
The law aims to improve the investigation and prosecution of environmental crime, to define new types of criminal offenses, and to harmonize penalties to individuals and legal persons
Banks: Changes in Transactions Due to Catholic Easter
In terms of financial obligations, those expiring on March 29 must be settled by March 28. Deposits made after March 28 will reflect in records starting from April 2. These alterations extend to payroll as well
EUROSTAT: Greece 2nd Place for Number of Asylum Apps in 2023
Approximately 1,048,900 non-EU citizens made first-time asylum applications for international protection in the EU, which was 20% higher than 2022