Galery

1

Anastasia Balezdrova

During a meeting with representatives of the Privatization Fund the representatives of the supervisory Troika have recommended that the implementation of the privatization programme should speed up. According to sources, the messengers of Greece's lenders have called for reduced political control and accelerated sale of state assets.

At the meeting, the Privatizations Fund was represented by managing director Yiannis Emiris since its former head Stelios Stavridis has resigned. The reports in the Greek press that, most probably, a foreign technocrat will head the Fund and that its headquarters will be transferred to Luxembourg have not yet been confirmed. The most probable candidate for the position is Costas Maniatopoulous who currently heads the company "State property".

According to European sources, the managing director has stated before the representatives of the Troika that the new objective of the Privatization Fund, namely to provide about 1.5 billion euro by the end of this year, is achievable.

The lenders’ representatives, in turn, have expressed their concern regarding the delay of a large number of privatizations, especially of real estate, and regarding the fact that the Fund has had no chairman for more than a month.

The Greek government aims to obtain 2.5 billion euro in privatization revenue in 2014. Therefore, the Troika and the representatives of the Fund have discussed the re-launching of the tender for the Greek natural gas company DEPA, for the sale of the railway company TRENOSE and the water supply companies in Athens and Thessaloniki as well as the utilization of ports. The sale and leaseback of 28 state properties have been considered during the meeting too, as the absence of a Fund’s chairman has blocked them, making it impossible for the management board to convene meetings.

Then the lenders’ representatives met with members of the financial stability fund and discussed the banking sector reform and the changes in the functions of the fund. No information about the outcome of the meeting has been announced so far.

Earlier today, the protest procession of about 3,000 civil servants, which took place within the context of the 48-hour strike announced by the union of public sector employees ADEDY, had blocked the centre of Athens.

The protesters had gathered in the central Klafthmonos Square and, with slogans against the mobility programme and the upcoming layoffs in the public sector, set off to the Ministry of Administrative Reform.

Employees of different ministries, teachers and employees in municipalities, insurance funds, universities and colleges were among the protesters.

The aim of the protesters was to express their dissatisfaction with the changes in the public sector during the meeting of the representatives of the Troika with Minister of Administrative Reform Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

A large number of policemen were guarding the Ministry and three police buses parked on the avenue prevented the people from reaching the entrance of the building. The protesters shouted slogans against the government, the lenders and the Minister but there was neither tension nor clashes with the police.

At the same time, during the meeting, the Greek government had requested the postponement for two months of the second "wave" of civil servants who are to be included in the mobility programme. The measure will affect about 12,500 employees. It will become clear at the next meeting with the Greek government on Friday whether the lenders will accept to extend the deadline from December 2013 to February 2014.