Prime Minister George Papandreou and the head of the left-wing Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) Parliamentary group Alexis Tsipras exchanged heated words in Parliament on Friday
during a discussion of the government's privatisation programme.
during a discussion of the government's privatisation programme.
In a question to the prime minister, Tsipras accused Papandreou of "selling-off" state assets and of having placing the country under the control of the EU-IMF troika "based on an organised plan" and "of playing the game of the Americans and local oligarchy".
Replying, Papandreou countered that he did not need to "prove his political credentials" and that the Memorandum agreement for the loans to Greece had saved the country from bankruptcy and the sort of scenes and instability that had occurred in Argentina.
Tsipras, however, retorted that Argentina's collapse was brought about precisely because it had resorted to the IMF and adopted neoliberal policies.
"You are selling off the PPC, EYDAP, EYATh and OPAP. This is a major scandal in the sense that the country does not have the possibility of standing on its feet, even if it should recover," Tsipras claimed.
He also strongly criticised plans to privatise Agricultural Bank of Greece, where two thirds of Greek land were currently mortgaged and Hellenic Post Bank, which he said had the biggest depositor base.
ANA-MPA
