A response to Alexis Tsipras and his comments on the DHP share capital increase, that it is supposedly a “stunt against the public interest”, was given by Kostis Hatzidakis<\/b>.<\/p>\n
“Mr Tsipras is talking about PPC, which had forced it through auctions to sell cheaply to its competitors the electricity it produced expensively, at a loss of 600 million euros<\/b>. I myself, as Minister of Energy, abolished these auctions, which had been agreed with the Troika, with whom they otherwise disagreed. The PPC, based on the auditor’s report that came out in April 2019, before the elections, was facing a viability issue<\/b> because it was in debt to the point that the Public Limited Companies Act would have required it to close in September of that year. And that would have been a loss not only for PPC but also for the economy and for the country,” Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis said in an interview today on SKY television.<\/p>\n
“The state’s stake in PPC,” he added, “fell from 51% to 35%. But the value of the stake held by the state is 16 times greater than the one left by Mr Tsipras. <\/b>The state will participate in the new increase in proportion to its share and PPC, which was on the brink of bankruptcy, is now a strong company that is becoming a national champion and will play a role in the wider region of Southeast Europe<\/b>.”<\/p>\nRespect for Justice<\/h3>\n
Asked about yesterday’s decision by the Supreme Court prosecutor on the wiretapping, the deputy prime minister said: “In Greece we position ourselves against any decisions of the Justice according to whether we like or dislike them. And we have to realize that this does not strengthen either democracy or justice. Regardless of what I may or may not feel, we must consistently have a respect for the decisions of the judiciary. Because Judicial decisions are not awarded according to what each of us thinks or what is in the best interests of each of us, nor are they awarded by referendums.<\/b> Everywhere in all European democracies where there is the rule of law, there is a Constitution, laws, an independent judiciary and certain procedural procedures that must be followed. If we all internalise this, it will be a conquest of the way democracy works. We can have opinions. A la carte, however, performance of justice and based on the wishes of each of us is not conceivable<\/b>.”<\/p>\n
He said that the issue by definition remains open “both politically and because the case is going to the Court of Appeal”, while in relation to PASOK’s proposal to set up a committee of inquiry, he said: “No such proposal has come. When it comes, we will see who is signing it, what the rationale is and then we will position it.”<\/b><\/p>\n
In reference to the positions expressed by 5 New Democracy<\/b> MPs in a joint letter published today, Hatzidakis said: “It is a letter which puts forward some political views in the context of intra-party dialogue, intra-party democracy and the expression of opinions. N.D. was elected with 41% of the vote and has a political staff that covers a wide spectrum. We can’t all say exactly the same things.<\/b> Also, I have to say that certainly not all things are done right. Such suggestions help us all to think together about how we can work together. The executive state, they say themselves, on major issues has worked. But they add that in other cases it has not worked as well. But even when we did not have an executive state everything went well? These are issues that we need to discuss politically, in the interest of the party and especially of the country.”<\/p>\n
In relation to the role of MPs, Kostis Hadjidakis suggested that more specific ideas should be considered, submitting two proposals: that parliamentary amendments, which are currently rejected when the minister does not accept them, should be put to a vote if they have no financial content.<\/b>And that the Budgetary Control Committee should have a substantive role, as is the case in the European Parliament, which scrutinises the Commission on the progress of the implementation of the European Budget. “Here’s how the role of the MP is enhanced. Not just staying with observations, to see practical ways of strengthening it,” the deputy prime minister concluded.<\/p>\n