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Each privatization plan of the PASOK government appears to be the next to the last in recent times. While some government officials speak of 15 billion euros revenues from privatization by the end of 2012, others say it is not the time to sell state property. The only constant that remains for the government of George Papandreou is the end result of 50 billion euros in the state pocket by 2015.

The first 10 billion euros should come from the privatization of the state lottery OPAP, the Public Power Corporation of Greece and Postbank, announced Imerisia. The national gas company DEPA, the Agricultural Bank and the highly indebted State Railways are also offered to the investors’ attention.

Notwithstanding the plans announced by the government, the Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change Tina Birbili told Ta Nea that the key enterprises in the energy sector should be excluded from the programme. "It is better large distribution networks such as the electrical, water and gas ones to remain public, so that when we emerge from the crisis the public sector will have certain strategic infrastructure to create prospects for economic growth," replied Birbili to the question whether some of the companies should be excluded from the privatization plan.

According to Tina Birbili, Greece and Europe are now in a transitional period of reforming the energy sector. At the same time, the economic crisis is the reason for the drop of electricity consumption, which reduces the value of the electric company. "So, I think now is not the time to worry about the preparation of the package of shares for companies," said Birbili.
 
The Minister believes that the government has more important tasks rather than to sell parts of distribution networks. One of them is to change the power energy mix of Greece by 2020, as Birbili calls the change in the production of electricity. 30% of the energy should result from the exploitation of renewable energy sources after 10 years, not from low-quality solid fuels such as lignite. She also speaks about the liberalization of the energy market to benefit consumers without clarifying whether this means lower prices, greater competition or something else, or how it will be achieved.

After the government announced last year that it would liberalize the energy market in Greece the unions at the local national electricity company threatened with a tsunami of strikes. And unlike the currently known protests by civil servants, workers in urban transport and municipal employees, the strike of the electricity company employees will cut off the power throughout Greece. Although the government took a step back and said it intends to denationalize only part of the distribution networks, energy unions do not seem to be touched much.

Some Greek analysts say that one of the reasons for the government reluctance to implement the long-awaited liberalization of the market with determination is the expected acute reaction by the unions. According to unofficial sources, there is a real danger Greece to wake up without electricity this summer if the government realizes its plans to sell part of the ADESMIE Inc company which was established to manage and operate the distribution system outside the control of the electric company.