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Screening Greek Politicians’ Assets: Real Will or Distraction Strategy?
Posted by keeptalkinggreece in Editor, Politics
What is the purpose of all these leakages to Greek media heralding the economic screening of politicians’ assets? Are these news a result of serious political will to finally clean a corrupt system or is it just a government campaign to distract the public from all these prices hikes?
According to Greek weekly To Pointiki Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou had given the green light for dusting and hashing politicians’ assets, lawmakers from both governing party PASOK (Socialists) and NEA DIMOKRATIA (Centre Right).
To Pontiki pointed out that the list includes the names of at least ten people, who will be screened some for unfair enrichment, others for tax evasion and others for concealing assets. The economic screening concerns seven active well-known and less well-known lawmakers and three prominent businessmen.
Three days ago, Greek private television broadcaster SKAI, claimed that SDOE-detectives are screening the assets of five Greek politicians, including two former Ministers.
It is the third time in just a couple of days that we read similar news in the Greek media. That Greek Politicians’ assets will be screened, bla bla bla….
Sign of Political Will or Public distraction Campaign?
There are quite some people wondering whether these reports show signs of a serious political will or just a campaign launched by the Government to distract public from all the new prices hikes that arrived with the new year .
Greeks struck by tax, VAT and all other kinds of hikes since Athens started to apply the IMF strict austerity program have repeatedly demanded the punishment those politicians who have drove the country to bankruptcy.
So far no politician has been asked to prove how he/she acquired property and assets. The law provides that lawmakers have to declare the status of assets and properties but not how they acquired them. Politicians’ assets list, that are officially made public once a year, have shown that some lawmakers and former ministers are owners of some 50+ real estate properties… Numbers that have become a thorn in the eyes of those common Greek state citizens who have to declare to Finance Ministry’s Tax Offices how they have earned every single cent.
Furthermore Greek lawmakers are protected from investigations by the “lawmakers immunity” law.
So just “leaking” such reports without clear and short-term results make many wonder…
You know, it is like waving a bone in front of a hungry and instinctively a bit aggressive dog, so he won’t bite you. Inexperienced “players” soon realize if they wave the bone for too long the dog will try to grab it ….
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