Photo: Ethnos
The case of the restaurant keeper on the island of Hydra, who failed to issue receipts and provoked a war between her colleagues and the police, has caused sharp political brawls. "Unfortunately, the economic policy of SYRIZA focuses upon supporting those who evade taxes, the failure of the country and the return to the drachma," reads a statement by New Democracy.
It was made in response to the statements made by Member of European Parliament from the radical left Nikos Houndis, who, according to the blue, is the fourth member of SYRIZA stating that the failure of Greece would be the trump card in its hands and a "weapon of the weak."
Yesterday, his counterpart Theodoros Dritsas blamed the economic police that they had turned "an ordinary tax audit" into a "show to demonstrate power." He blamed the authorities for their actions and said, "This cannot be an act for fighting tax evasion. It is a stupid and costly demonstration of state and government power, which leads to results that are exactly the opposite of those desired and makes the world laugh at our country."
The left deputy expressed his belief that the "government is in a state of panic" and defined it as dangerous, because it has once again treated the people as an enemy.
"We have once again convinced ourselves in the cabinet’s hypocrisy. We all know that similar shows do not reduce tax evasion but make it grow. "Dodgers" are rubbing their hands on the back of ordinary "fools" who regularly pay their taxes," he added.
However, his party fellow Dimitris Papadimoulis declared himself firmly against those Greeks who saved their obligations to the state. "The right of the tax evader from Hydra is incomprehensible to me. The more widespread tax evasion, the greater the cutting of salaries and pensions, to put it clearly and accurately," he posted in his profile on the social network Twitter and added, "No to the policy of the memorandum, the immunity of the strong and the avalanche of unfair taxes. No to the tolerance for the challenging examples of tax evasion like the one in Hydra either."
In an interview with Vima radio, Dimitris Papadimoulis urged the tax authorities "to go across in Porto Heli," where the majority of the villas are owned by offshore companies. "Let them go and inspect the local tax office as well."
He refused to comment on the statements made by Theodoros Dritsas. When he posted his comments on Twitter, users commented caustically that it could cost him his position in the party.
Manolis Gletsos – a deputy from the same party and a veteran of the Greek left, did not fail to comment on the case either. He said, "I informed the public municipal council in Paros a year ago that foreigners have built 1300 luxury properties that are rented via the Internet for 750 euro a day. However, the authority fighting economic crimes has not yet considered the case. This is an extreme example of tax evasion." As for the events in Hydra, he could not refrain from asking "whether the cabinet has not decided to start actions similar to that in Hydra, namely to cover cases like this in Paros."
Differences have clearly worried the leadership of the main opposition party. Rena Dourou from the steering group called on her colleagues not to express personal views on economic issues. "Representatives of the party who participated in many (social – author’s note) battles to which we, the much younger ones, owe many things should not now enter a game, in which their concern may be taken in the wrong way. It may be taken as an emphasis instead of being seen as an attempt to present an alternative proposal worked out in a collective manner. We have such authorities and no one is interested in such a policy at a time when the country is bankrupt. I urge all party members to abstain from expressing their views through statements, open letters or personal press releases," she said in an attempt to persuade them to follow the party line, although none of SYRIZA has presented such so far.