CEO of Greece’s Privatization Fund (TAIPED) Resigned

1. Weird. Didn’t he understand when accepting the position that his job would be to NOT privatize anything, maybe?

   • Samaras is one of the old-style Greek political crooks, and is busy replacing all the competent people he can find with assholes who are his political friends or relatives.

     Merkel made an excellent decision to back him, if the purpose is to prevent Greece from ever escaping the terrible mess it is now in.

     • @Guest(Xenos) : ‘getting tired here of your “crooks, assholes, pigs, bloodsuckers…” why do I have to approve these different comments sent x-times per day, making just one single point? Explain…

       • I hardly think that I make one single point in my postings here. You are obsessing with trivia — such as formal and correct language — and trying to convince yourself that I am wrong to use such language.

         Of course, it is your blog. If you don’t like my contributions I shall not post here any more.

         • yes, I used to be a master in trivia! quite some readers are annouyed by your comments.

         • I am very angry with some of the disgusting things that are being written here — and I am not talking about normal adult expressions in English. I am more concerned with exposing lies and propaganda, than with presenting a bourgeois face in the middle of what is a European politico-economic disaster.

           However, I am aware that many Greeks are obsessed with formal appearance; this is one of the reasons that Greece is in such a mess now. Content is rather more important than presentation. Has it occurred to you that some of these complainers may simply be trying to stop me from lucidly exposing their lies?

         • oops! I didn’t know we appointed a ‘lawyer’ to expose the lies of the the anti-Greeks.
           Attacking chronic-ill or disable (Thatcher for example (remember?, Schaeuble) I consider as a K.O hit under the belt.
           Furthermore exactly it is the presentation of you content that makes the latter invalid.
           If what is written here angers you, I’d advice two option: 1) do not read here 2) join an anger-management group.
           PS the complainers complained about your presentation and less about the content.
           sad to see the comments-section turned into a dull anti-German frenzy – too monothematic for my taste.

         • I’m sorry, but you are just being petit bourgeois. Of course I am angry about what has been done to Europe over the last 30 years! I campaigned as a young man against the horrors of Thatcherism, and she manipulated and connived to stay in power and damage my country. Now the same is going on everywhere. I wish her nothing less than a very nasty life and death, because that is what she deserves.

           I do not have psychological problems, and do not need anger management classes. Rather, you and some others need to wake up to reality.

         • I suppose this is your last comment here.

         • If that is the way you want to deal with views that differ from yours, then so be it. I am not prepared to be censored, so you will have to block me.

   • Or maybe he realised that selling off the assets of the country to “foreign interests” is not really the way to get an economy going. He probably realised it’s a sure-fire measure to ensure that the economy of a country ends up being manipulated and controlled by those “foreign interests”, and that these vultures are quite intent on creating an economic wasteland in order to safeguard their home economy, rather than helping put a foreign economy back on it’s feet. And if you can acquire a cheap harbour or 2 in the process, why not? In times of trouble, protectionist attitudes become very prevalent.

2. This is a copy of an email received by a friend in response to a question re the sale of assets in Ireland. For those not familiar with the Irish language ( there might be a few of you :)), he signs of as Tanaiste, which means Deputy Prime Minister. This minister is also the leader of the Irish Labour party.

   “Thank you very much for your email with regard to the sale of state
   assets.

   Let me say at the outset that were we not in such difficult times Labour
   would not be following this course of action. This commitment was made by
   the previous Government under the terms of the deal with the Troika and in
   broad terms, agreed to the sale of state assets in line with that outlined
   in the so-called McCarthy Report and that the proceeds should be offset
   against our current debt. As such the commitment was included in the
   Programme for Government.

   What is now agreed for such disposals is up to Euro 3 billion. As we
   have succeeded in doing with previous Government commitments to the troika
   such as the restoration of the minimum wage, the Minister for Public
   Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin has negotiated that one third of the
   amount be reinvested in our economy. This is a much needed and very
   welcome boost, particularly in terms of job creation.

   Please be assured that there will be no sale of strategic assets at all and
   non strategic assets will only be sold when market conditions are right to
   ensure a proper return to the exchequer. We continue our commitment to
   state enterprise and will for example in the near future establish a state
   water company.

   Thank you for writing to me on this issue, I appreciate receiving your
   views.

   Best wishes

   Eamon Gilmore TD
   Tanaiste & Minister for Foreign Affairs & Trade

   There are a few things worth while noticing in the email. The Irish government, ineffective as they are, have actually managed to renegotiate a few bits and pieces of their predecessors agreements with the Troika. the Troika by the way is as intent on stripping Ireland of as much as they can as they are intent on doing same to Greece.
   It is also note worthy that the Deputy Prime Minister explicitly mentions that the have succedded in getting an agreement from the Troika to restore the minimum wage!
   The other bit worth nothing is that the Troika would seem to have agreed that a sale will only be made if and when it produces “a proper return to the exchequer” (iow the Irish Revenue actually get something out of this), and that 1/3 of the amount received for a sale will be re-invested in the Irish Economy.

   Of course, selling of the infrastructure, in this case harbours on an island nation (!) remains suicidal in terms of controlling the local economy, but there is at least the structure in place to use some of the money raised to boost the local economy rather than just hand it over to the banks. How the Irish government uses and optimises that money is a different question, and I wouldn’t hold my hopes too high on anything near effective being done with the available funds. But the principle is there, at least.

   • very nice. But I am interested who the deal to restore the minimum wage was implemented in practice. did it?

3. It has indeed been restored to its previous level.
   The flip side of that coin of course is that, because nobody is doing to much work on account of “no jobs”, not too much minimum wage is being paid. On top of that, as I said elsewhere, the Irish government is very enthousiastically busy dismantling the “welfare state”, which by the nature of things hits those who can least afford it hardest. And the restoration of the minimum wage level is heavily paid for with the reduction in unemployment assistance (50% reduction for under 23s and other niceties). I don’t have the exchequer figures, but I would assume that the bottom line is that there is far less being out on restored minimum wage than there is being taken away from people through “other measures” demanded by the Troika. goes without saying, really, doesn’t it?

   • “restored minimum wage than there is being taken away from people through “other measures” demanded by the Troika” – certainly. here we call them ‘foggy equivalent measures’.

     • which is why I said it’s worth noting. It looks good in the newspaper headlines, and will be used to great effect during election campaigns. The net effect of its reality is a different picture all together…

   • Wasn’t the level of all wages – and unemployment allowance – connected to the level of the minimum wage, also unemployment assistance extended to two years?

     • I don’t think this is the place to go into the details of the minefield called “Social Welfare” as practiced in Ireland. No, you’re not quite right there. This is where you’ll find everything you ever wanted to know, if you’re enough of a masochist to try and read it…

       http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/

4. Comments pertaining to countries like Ireland or other countries should not be used for comparisons to Greece. Greece is an entirely different and unique animal where altruistic ideals are used to mask self-interest. Here in Greece, the unions have been exploiting the social fabric of the country at the expense of the greater good for the last 35 years. Those that have been unfortunate to not have been employed in the civil service are those that are suffering the most under these austerity measures because they have not been properly applied. Pressures from the civil service unions and the lack of courage of politicians have caused this. The public companies to be privatised are actually losing money because of their mismanagement and high salaries to these public sector employees, and the burden of this is placed mostly on the citizens that are not fortunate enough to be employed in such companies. The people who are against these privatisations have much in common with the people like those DEH managers that have been receiving 3500Euro a month bonuses while the old lady that lives on your street has seen her pension be reduced to 400 Euros a month

   • There is absolutely nothing different between what is happening in Greece, or what has happened in Ireland for example. Do not make the mistake of thinking that Greece is somehow more corrupt that Ireland, it isn’t. It’s as corrupt, and in the same way, with the same pressure groups, same divisions and the same non-action by government intended to save the wealth of the few at the expense of the many. It is people like yourself who keep this myth of that oh so very corrupt Greece, worse than anything else, going. It is, in a very sick way, almost painted as a medal of honour. Greece is the most corrupt, good on Greece. I’ve lived in both countires for long enough to know. The cause is the same, correctly identified by yourself, the proposed solutions are identical and as ineffective. The only difference is that Greece is a few years behind schedule. What is happening in Greece today happened in Ireland some 5-6 years ago. In a few years time, the policies pursued by Ireland will bring Greece to the position Ireland is at today. And you don’t want to be there.It is as corrupt as it was years ago, it’s only different players. Same mindset, same actions, same result. Joe soap pays, more and more every day. That is why comparisions to the likes of Ireland are not only valid, they are necessary, becasue it shows you what will happen if it isn’t stopped dead in its tracks now.

5. I think universally it’s called theft, but when it’s done by banks and their representatives I think the term is “re-adjustment” and it’s ok then….

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