Φιλελεύθερη Συμμαχία
Τοπική Πολιτική Κίνηση Μεγάλης Βρεττανίας
26 Μαΐoυ 2008

Αρχικές Θέσεις

Η τοπική Κίνηση Μεγάλης Βρετανίας (& Ιρλανδίας) της Φιλελεύθερης Συμμαχίας επιδιώκει να εστιάσει τις προτάσεις της στα θέματα των Ελλήνων που ζούν, φοιτούν και εργάζονται στην Μεγάλη Βρετανία και στις επαφές που έχουν με το Ελληνικό κράτος εδώ στην Μεγάλη Βρετανία. Με αυτό το πνεύμα καταθέτουμε τις αρχικές θέσεις της Τοπικής μας Κίνησης, για συζήτηση και προβληματισμό και στις οποίες θα συνεχίσουμε να προσθέτουμε θέματα και προτάσεις. Όποιος εργάζεται ή έχει εργασθεί στην Μεγάλη Βρετανία, όποιος είναι ή ήταν φοιτητής εδώ είναι ευπρόσδεκτος να καταθέσει τις δικές του σκέψεις.

Βασικά Αιτήματα
1 . Γενικά
1.1 Η τοπική Κίνηση Μεγάλης Βρεττανίας εκφράζει την ικανοποίηση της για την προβλεπόμενη παροχή δικαιώματος ψήφου στην ομογένεια
1.2 Καθιέρωση ταχυδρομικής ψήφου, διευρεύνηση διαδικτυακής ψήφου
1.3 Διευρυνση των ωρών λειτουργίας της Ελληνικής Πρεσβείας και των Ελληνικών Προξενείων
1.4 Δυνατότητα ταχυδρομικής καταθεσης αιτήσεων και δικαιολογητικών και διευθέτησης υποθέσεων χωρίς προσωπική παρουσία. Οποιεσδήποτε υποθέσεις χρειάζονται περεταίρω έλεγχο η προσωπική παρουσία αυτές θα κλείνονται με ραντεβού εκτός εργάσιμων ορών ( 5 με 9 το απόγευμα) η το Σαββατο πρώι
1.5 Δυνατότητα πληρωμών με επιταγή ή χρεωστική κάρτα

2. Για εργαζόμενους
2.1 Επέκταση δυνατότητας εξαγοράς της στρατιωτικής θητείας, και σε βάθος χρόνου ή κατάργηση της στρατιωτικής θητείας

3. Για φοιτητές
3.1 Καταργηση ΔΙΚΑΤΣΑ
3.2 Δυνατότητα λειτουργίας ιδιωτικών πανεπιστημίων στην Ελλαδα ή λειτουργία παραρτημάτων ξένων πανεπιστημίων στην Ελλαδα

φιλελευθερη συμμαχία
www.greekliberals.net

A judge or a Christian orthodox Taliban?

22.04.08

The court ruling by Justice Mr. Dimitrios Gavalas, which accepts the petition of extreme nationalist Konstantinos Plevris and orders the temporary withdrawal from school libraries of Ersi Sotiropoulou’s book « ‘Zig-Zag around the Neratzies’» (bitter-orange trees), until the final court ruling is delivered, is not just provocative and unacceptable. It is judiciously preposterous and shameful for the Greek Justice system, that a judge reaches the point to praise the bravery of the Nazis (‘free translation of the extracts of the court ruling) « ‘… today we see the perversion of the great historical truths and the silencing of acknowledged facts, for example that children are taught that the Germans, who fought bravely against the whole world, were beaten by the Anglo-Americans, who just by hearing the word ‘Germans’ were running as far as they could (….) the crimes of the Allies (…) are not mentioned ). »

The judge reaches the point to question the constitution: «(…) all those ‘progressives’, ‘modernists’, ‘pseudo-civilised’ talk and write and a derogatory way for the royalty and for constitutional monarchy »

And the judge has no reservation to apply the rational of a Christian Orthodox Taliban at his ruling: «Once upon a time, young people were going to church to find the truth, that is not ideological or any other subjective view of the world, but truth, light, life, being our Lord Jesus Christ (….)».« Children’s literature appealing to innocent children’s soul that the Son of God Jesus Christ pointed as an example (….)»

This is not a court ruling by any standard of jurisprudence, as there is no rule that the judge did not violate, in order to promote his extreme ideology. This is not a mistake, but a slap in the face of Law and Justice, it is fanatical religious preaching, a manifestation of the Greek Dictatorship (1967-1974) motto ‘Greece of Christian Greeks’, it is from beginning to the end an anachronistic and reactionary absurdity.

Liberal Alliance (Greek Liberals) demands from the Attorney of the Hellenic Supreme Court (Arios Pagos), to nullify this decision.

Liberal Alliance also demands that disciplinary action is taken against the above mentioned judge.

Liberal Alliance (Greek Liberals) will attend the summit with other Liberal Parties of South East Europe

Liberal Alliance (Greek Liberals) will participate in a summit with the other Liberal Parties of South East Europe that will take place in Skopje, FYROM, on Saturday 19 April 2008 under the auspices of ELDR and LDP. The main subject of the meeting will be the worrying resurgence of nationalism and the increasing occurrence of incidents of extremism and populism in the countries of the region.

The Vice President of Liberal Alliance Mr Manoledakis, who will attend the summit, will highlight that only policies based on the liberal ideas can guarantee piece and co-operation between the countries of South East Europe.

Liberal Alliance supports that, justice, equality before the Law for citizens of every country, respect for the territorial integrity of every country, good neighbouring relations, freedom to express one’s national identity, rejection of any kind of secessionism, should form the basis for peace in troubled regions like the Balkans.

With regards to the resolution of the issue for a final name of FYROM, Liberal Alliance will support an agreement based on the proposals of the UN envoy, Mr Nimits, so that FYROM should become a member of EU and NATO as soon as possible.

Liberal Alliance respects the right of any citizen of the region to consider themselves Macedonians whether they are in Greece or elsewhere and expects that the same right exists and should be protected, for anyone who wants to define his or her national identity as Greek.

Only with the full recognition of the right for defining one’s national identity can minorities, living in any country, bridge cultural and political divisions, and in this way they can nullify any possible plans to take advantage of them, with a higher purpose to change borders of states.

During the summit, Liberal Alliance will reaffirm its position that the expedient accession to the EU, of the countries of Western Balkans, will entrench EU law and institutions in the region, forming the basis for the countries’ partnership and for the protection of the individual rights of every citizen.

Finally, in order to advance the above mentioned objective and to prevent future crisis, Liberal Alliance will propose the establishment of a permanent framework for common planning and dialogue between all the Balkan countries.

As a first step, Liberal Alliance will propose the co-ordination of all the Liberal Parties of the region towards the transformation of the Balkans from a source of instability for Europe, to a region of piece and prosperity for all.

'The Greeks are Coming'

31.03.08- Liberal Alliance press release

Liberal Alliance (Greek Liberals) wishes to highlight the hostility against free economy expressed by members of all Parliamentary Parties, vented on the occasion of the sale of the Greek Telecommunication Organization (OTE) shares owned by MIG, to the Deutche Telecom.

Mr Tsipras from the left wing SYRIZA and Mr Karatzaferis from the right wing LAOS accused MIG of making a huge profit of hundreds of million euros, whilst Mr Papandreou of PASOK speaking in parliament asked that this sale should be investigated by the public prosecutor!

Liberal Alliance could consider these accusations as credible if they were accompanied by evidence of unlawful acts, something that no politician has put forward yet. On the contrary, all the politicians easily throw vague accusations without any shred of proof, still they keep silent on a fully substantiated case for illegal and irregular actions regarding OTE.

The first offence they 'forgot' is Greece's violation of EU law for free movement of capital with the Greek Government's special law to limit private ownership of the shares of the Public Benefit State Companies (DEKO) to 20%. The only purpose of this act of parliament was for Governement to push MIG, a business conglomerate, out of OTE, which was achieved.
Oddly enough the politicians and others who wanted MIG to leave OTE, now accuse the company of doing as they wanted, but without losing money.

The second offence they 'forgot' regards the 'Siemens bribes' where according to press information and legal investigations, Siemens was bribing political parties, union leaders, and managers of OTE.
The most recent information coming from testimonies of workers of Siemens in Germany, reveals incredible bribe-taking from Greek officials, the arrivals of which were announced with the code phrase 'The Greeks are Coming'.
Amongst other revelations, information made public refers to offers in kind, for example, shopping in expensive shops of Munich, accommodation in luxurious hotels, free holidays for politicians even for covering for wedding receptions of politicians relatives! Süddeutsche Zeitung notes that Siemens was bribing around 200 OTE's officials from 1990 to 2006. It is mentioned that there were times where the company was spending more money for bribes in Greece than in Nigeria.

For Liberal Alliance maintaining State Control over OTE, serves only the perpetuity of the 'good life' of the malign groups that leech on this company. The extremities used in the course of defending state control of OTE and other Public Benefit State Companies (DEKO) prove how much is really at stake for them.

For Liberal Alliance it is obvious that Greece's political establishment protects those who obstruct the progress of the country and the prosperity of its citizens

Liberal Alliance will stand by the side of all the citizens, businessmen and workers who will decide to stand against this odious situation and work for its reversal.

A race of demagoguery and populism whilst the real problems, run deeper and deeper

28.03.08- Liberal Alliance press release

Liberal Alliance (Greek liberals) points out that the opposition's behavior was nothing more than a show of populism and demagoguery during the public and parliamentary debate for the new Social Security Law

Unfortunately this escalating confrontation between PASOK and SYRIZA, for the price of the supreme populist party, have overshadowed the discussion of a new Law that keeps every bit of the pathology of the same system that leads Greece's Social Security system to insolvency.
A Social Security system, that the Council of Ministers of the European Union during a recent statement doubts the viability of Greece's public finances because of the implications of an aging population.

Against this mockery of a reform proposed by New Democracy, PASOK and SYRIZA have not articulate a positive political argument, nor do they present their own serious and viable alternatives. Worse, they attempt with a motion of confidence and the collection of signature for 'referendum' to cover their inability to present a serious proposal for a serious matter.
SYRIZA's proposal for a referendum on Social Security, lacks any democratic sensitivity as the ones that will oppose any change of the status quo have a disproportionately greater power over the ones that will shoulder the economic cost like the young workers and anyone who is not old enough to vote.

Once more the political establishment proves that it cares for nothing else, other than the plundering and sharing of an omnipresent and gargantuan State and cannot bother for submission of proposals that will solve the citizens' problems.

The recent events also prove without doubt the inadequacy, of the Politicians of the big Political Parties that have risen either through family connections and name recognition or by serving loyally political party and worker's union bureaucracies, politicians that have no qualifications whatsoever to deal with today's complex issues.

Liberal Alliance has submitted to Greek Parliament and to the public, its proposals for the Social Security and will keep on propagate them in the coming years.

Important court ruling regarding 'sharia law' in Thrace.

27.03.08-Liberal Alliance press release

Liberal Alliance salutes the important court ruling with great symbolic and substantial significance, from the High Court of Rodopi in Thrace.
This ruling questions the up to now indisputable power of Islamic sharia law for the Muslim minority of Thrace by recognizing equal hereditary rights to the Muslim women with Muslim men.

The court decision rational notes that: ' the judicial power of the mufti could not possibly function towards a direction of the human rights violation of Muslims who are clearly protected by the Greek Constitution, the European Convention of Human Rights, and the supplementary Paris Protocol, applying anachronistic laws that were brought in effect during historically and politically transitional and fluid periods, cannot remove rights and discriminate against Greek Muslim women, thus deviating from the constitutional right for equality between the sexes and the fundamental principle that all citizens should be equal before the law. '

Liberal Alliance is the only political party, that proposes in its manifesto, the 'abolition of Islamic sharia law supremacy in parts of Greece that is still in effect (like Thrace) and that no law should be incompatible with the law of Greece. Law should be applied with no discrimination. Removal of every judicial power from Muslim minorities muftis and limiting their role strictly to their religious duties. The appointment of muftis is an internal matter for the Muslim minority with which the state should not interfere.'

Liberal Alliance emphasizes that the defence of human rights and of freedom of expression of individuals and groups should not be selective and applied arbitrarily but should be comprehensive and entrenched in the institutions within the rule of law and due process.

The contemporary agents of the Middle Ages are here

21.03.08-Liberal Alliance press release

Liberal Alliance condemns the cease of funding of the Academic Libraries, by not including them on the ESPA 2009-2013. Academic Libraries is an indispensable instrument for promoting research and development of the Greek Universities and their demise will lead Public Tertiary Education to its further depreciation.

Liberal Alliance supports significant cuts in government spending. But Education, investment in Research and Development form the greater possible advantage for any country in today's globally competitive environment.
Greece's investment in the above is of the lowest of the developed world, and whilst Ireland invested the greater portion of the EU subsidies in education, research and technology with acknowledged results, Greece has squandered it to areas that mattered much less and continues to do so.

It is impossible not to think that Greece's current government, being unable to comprehend the current global trends, aims to impose a digitally illiterate education system.
Students in Greece will no longer be able to access 13.500 web -based media that opened a window to the world, and this constitutes a brutal assault to their intelligence but also to the intelligence of the country in general.

Greek citizens suffering of increasing unemployment and advancing poverty trends, is the result of precisely this policy of indifference to education in general, and digital education in particular by successive Greek Governments.

Liberal Alliance outlines that the only way for Greece to compete effectively within the international arena in the new 'digital century', is through investment in an educational system that serves the needs of a knowledge-based economy and a modern open society.

Social Security reveals the Greek Government's incompetence and the Opposition's shallow populism

19.03.2008 - Liberal Alliance press release

On occasion of the general strike of the 19 March, Liberal Alliance (Greek Liberals) considers New Democracy's Government's, so-called, 'reform' to be nothing more than a half-baked feeble attempt.
The proposed Social Security Law neither deals with the problems at the core of the current system, nor will heal the pathology that will lead Social Security in Greece, towards insolvency.
Maintaining a Soviet type Social Security system perpetuates the suffocating handling of the State on any new, however merged, Pension Funds, and guarantees the continuing of the circle of their mismanagement and unaccountability.

At the same time Liberal Alliance condemns the Opposition parties as agents of blind reaction without the will or the ability to articulate a productive, positive vision and submit serious and viable counter- proposals for the Social Security.
A review of the other Political Parties proposals reveals that their proposals are nothing more than generalizing, and populist wishful thinking
This is the best proof that the current political establishment that has been for years focused on power sharing and not coming up with policies that will solve the citizens' problems.

As part of the public debate on Social Security, Liberal Alliance has submitted to the Greek Parliament and to the Greek Society, its proposals for this important issue, and will keep on propagating those as the changes currently contemplated by the Government, will not solve any of the grave Social Security problems.

Liberal Alliance will continue even after the parliamentary vote on this Law, to promote within the Greek Society its proposals for a capital-generating component within a composite
Social Security system.
This is a proposal that stems from examples from around the world and forms the basis for the reforms throughout Europe. It becomes increasingly apparent, that no other way can prove efficient and viable for the foreseeable future.

Five Parliamentary Parties-One Policy: Statism

19.03.2008- Liberal Alliance press release

Liberal Alliance salutes Commissioner's McCreevy response to SYRIZA's MEP Papadimoulis' parliamentary question on how Governments of Member States of EU can limit private ownership of companies 'deemed of strategic importance' such as OTE (Greek Telecommunications Organization).

Commissioner MacCreevy outlines that the Commission cannot consent to any measures that may protect any state monopolies and whenever such measures are taken by Governments of Member States, the Commission must act to ensure compliance with what EU law states.

It is not widely known that the same answer for this matter, Commissioner MacCreevy and the President of the Commission Mr Barroso gave to Minister of National Economy Mr Alogoskoufis and the Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis respectively.
This happened during the most recent EU summit, where the Greek Government attempted cunningly to pass an amendment to bring EU law in line with the Greek law, limiting private ownership of 'Public Benefit State Companies' (DEKO) to 20%!
This preposterous attempt was, of course, unsuccessful.

The Government of the 'conservative' New Democracy supported by the 'left wing' SYRIZA and all the other Political Parties represented in the Parliament, are currently struggling to keep control of the DEKO, re-affirming that the five parliamentary parties are not interested in any policy other than pursuing an increasing control of the state over the economy and the society.

At the opposite end of the political spectrum, Liberal Alliance proposes the worldwide accepted position, that state protection of monopolies and lack of competition in economy will further undermine the quality of the provided services whilst increasing their cost.
Maintaining the state control of DEKO will have grave consequences for the consumer and the government budget, will obstruct foreign and domestic investment in Greece, and will postpone the job growth for young people who are particularly vulnerable to unemployment.

Liberal Alliance supports the legalization of co-habitation agreements- but without any discrimination

15.03.08-Liberal Alliance Press Release

Liberal Alliance supports the normalization of couples who do not wish to be married with the Co-habitation Agreements currently proposed by the Greek government.
Liberal Alliance also expresses its satisfaction, to the comments made by Archibishop that he does not wish to interfere with matters other than the spiritual work of the Church, thus maintaining a stature of prudence and calm.

However Liberal Alliance is against the Justice Minister's proposals not to include same-sex couples to the new Co-habitation Agreements.
Should these proposals be confirmed, they would construe a violation of basic human rights as well a violation of the Constitution which states that all Greek Citizens are equal before the law, and they (the proposals) would introduce an unacceptable discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Liberal Alliance clearly proposes on its manifesto, the recognition and legal registration of the couples (heterosexual and homosexual) that choose not to marry but to live permanently together.

According to Liberal Alliance sources, soon the first civil union of a same-sex couple will take place the coming week. Liberal Alliance will consider any action to obstruct this civil union as illegal, particularly since the law does not prohibit the ceremony for same -sex couples.
Liberal Alliance, consistent with its principles, will be at the side of anyone who fights for the abolition of discrimination against our fellow citizens and will provide, in the future, full political support to any citizens who will want to make use of the new Agreements, irrespective of their sexual orientation.

Liberal Alliance submits its proposals for Social Security to the Greek Parliament.

13 March 2007-Liberal Alliance press release

Liberal Alliance, members of the Governing Committee Messrs Katakos and Koukopoulos met today, the principal secretary of the Greek Parliament Mr Papayiannis and submitted the Liberal Alliance's proposals for the Social Security. Mr Papayiannis promised that he will distribute the proposals to all the other Political Parties and Members of Parliament.

By publishing its proposals, Liberal Alliance takes part at the current public discussion regarding the Greek Social Security System in a responsible and positive manner.

Enough is enough! Time for the citizens to resist those who treat them as hostages

7 March 2008-Liberal Alliance press Release

Liberal Alliance (Greek Liberals) follows the current events with disappointment, as once more the Greek society is held hostage to the few powerful groups.
Greek society is held hostage again from the union leaders of the civil sector, who instead of serving the citizens, they deliberately withhold basic services and obstruct uses of infrastructure, from them, extorting with this unacceptable manner the achievement of their demands.

Liberal Alliance considers as antisocial and unlawful, every form of protest, for right or wrong reasons, that inflicts intentional damage to innocent citizens.

Liberal Alliance declares its solidarity to the anonymous citizen of this country who endures daily the actions of civil sector unionists. It stands shoulder to shoulder with the immense hardship caused by the power cuts, as well as the businesses who suffer financially, for the same reason

Liberal Alliance calls on all the citizens of Greece to react to these small but powerful vested interests that consider the Public Electricity Company, the ports, the Greek Telecommunication Organization or the Athens Stock Exchange, their own feuds and they can 'pull off the plug' whenever they decide, and to bring charges against anyone who use their public authority to blackmail them, demanding ransom, provoking great damage to the country.

Liberal Alliance fights for the emancipation of the society and the economy from the chains of the state-fed groups that perceive the intra-party immunity, provided to them, as a weakness on behalf of the society to respond to their extortions.

Liberal Alliance's new video for the Greek Social Security System
(in Greek)
And a bit of explanation for the non Greeks here:
The sign above the counter at the beginning of the video, says 'State Pension Fund'
The narrator asks 'why should you not be able to choose your own Pension Fund?'
The tree characters are coloured with the colours of the tree main wings of the Greek Politics
Blue for the Conservative New Democracy, Green for the social democrat PASOK, and red for the Left.They really want to get their hands on the money of the citizens, supposedly to manage them for his pension.
The video ends with Liberal Alliance's proposal for the Social Security in Greece
-Freedom to choose a Pension Fund
-Capital generating system (as opposed to a simple redistribution amongst the generations)

And finally Liberal Alliance logo with the main principals:
Free Economy-Open Society

No to the plans to outlaw anonymity in the Internet-No to any attempt to limit freedom of expression.

Liberal Alliance press release 27 Februrary 2008


Liberal Alliance declares its opposition in the most stronger manner, to Greek Government's plans to outlaw anonymity in the Internet and to any measure that will limit the fundamental right for freedom of expression.

Liberal Alliance supports that the right of the Greek Citizens not to publishise their name in the Internret and dissociate their presence in the Internet with their real identity should be protected by law. Compulsory disclosure of their identities, may have grave political, financial or other consequences against them. For example:

-Anonymous informers which may contribute to revelations of news that government, politicians, or even criminal gangs would not want it to come to light

-Defenders of Human Rights who want to use Internet's anonymity in their fight against oppressive regimes

Throughout history, intellectuals and important figures used anonymity or pseudonymes to publish radical or revolutionary ideas. For some anonymity was life saving. In Greece it would have been impossible for the 'Anonymous Hellinas' to write 'Greek Polity' if he was obliged by the then Turkish occupiers or the Church to reveal his true identity.

Today the protection of the right of anonymity, provided to the citizens of the whole world, by entities based in USA, is guarded and enforced by the US Supreme Court's decisions which state that the protection of anonymous speech is vital for democracy. Anonymity is a refuge against the oppression of a majority and it guaranties a constitutional principal: the protection of unpopular citizens from the vengeance of an intollerant society.

Liberal Alliance points out that freedom of expression is not sufficiently protected in Greece and considers the constitutional limitations under article 14 of the Hellenic Constitution as well as articles 198 and 199 of the Penal Code and the ammendments by the 1995 Law (passed by the then minister E. Venizelos) currently being enforced in the Greek Internet, as totally unacceptable. Similar measures can be found only in totalitarian regimes like Iran and China and not in liberal democracies.

Liberal Alliance considers feeble and superficial to base the assault to the right of anonymity, on real or imaginary abuses of this right during the citizens expression in the Internet.
If this happens with the enactment of a law, Liberal Alliance will use any lawful means in Greece and Europe for its reversal.

An 'Olympian' condemnation of the governments of New Democracy and PASOK by the European Court

Liberal Alliance 14.02.08

Today's condemning decision from the European Court regarding the Olympic Airways, should bring sorrow and shame for this new humiliation for Greece, particularly since it is unlikely to be the last.

The illegal actions of successive Greek governments 'invited' the investigations of the EU commission since the early 90s. These were followed on by condemnations by the European Court as the early ruling C-415/03 and today's decision C-419/06 which confirm the unlawfullness of the state subsidies to the Olympic Airways by the governments of PASOK and New Democracy. The chronicle of the embezzlement of public funds for this purpose is explained in detail by today's press release from the EU Commision.

Whilst New Democracy stayed silent on today's events, the same did not happen with PASOK, whose members Ms Xenogianakopoulou & Mr Tsiokas accused the government that 'it did not negotiate effectively the case for Olympic Airways to the EU'. The new president of SYRIZA, Mr. Tsipras, as a consummate left wing statist went a step further and called for the taxpayers to pay more money to the Olympic Airways since the money already given is just a small part of the debt of the Greek Government to the company!

Neither Ms Xenogiannakopoulou nor Mr Tsipras mentioned the intra-party malign groups that pillage the state Airline Company for years. On the contrary they are attempting to convince the citizens that the state monopoly over the airline industry should be preserved in the name of …progress, and so continuing the illegal actions by the government and the covering of the damages and debts from the taxpayers.

Liberal Alliance alone and with no connection with special interests, points out to the obvious, that the illegal state subsidies result in the stifling of the competition in the airline industry. The longer this occurs, the lower the quality of services offered by the industry and the higher the cost will be to the taxpayer.

Preserving the state monopoly over the airlines will have negative consequences for the consumer, the state budget and the Greek tourism, will discourage investment by foreign airline companies in Greece and will delay the job creation, much needed by the young unemployed.

Liberal Alliance considers Olympic Airlines a blatant example of a policy that favoured the few against the interests of the majority of Greek citizens. Liberal Alliance supports the immediate privatisation of Olympic Airlines, as part of a full withdrawal of the State from every business activity and the institution of a free and fair competition to all the sectors of the economy.

An irresponsible Government faces an irresponsible Opposition over Social Security.

Liberal Alliance Press Release 11.02.08

The Greek Government 's proposals for the stabilization of the Social Security Funds, demonstrate the irresponsibility of its approach on a matter of utmost importance given the demographic developments.
The Greek Government appears to have decided to consolidate the multitude of Pension Funds to five or six, subsidize the most indebted Pension Funds with 10% of the reserves of the most profitable ones and the increase of the retirement age.

Liberal Alliance considers that these proposals will not even delay, let alone save from the financial collapse of the -merged or not merged-Pension Funds, as nobody explains why the merged Funds will manage the worker's contributions better than they did, decades until now.

Nobody explains why the consolidated Pension Funds will be better run, since they will be managed by the same Boards who are responsible for the desperate condition of the current Pension Funds.

No one points out that the Boards of the Pension Funds consisted and will continue to consist from party cadres appointed by the Government and from union leaders supported from New Democracy, PASOK, KKE, SYRIZA appointed from the General Confederation of Workers (GSEE) and the Public Workers Union (ADEDY)

More and more citizens understand that the new proposals and the intra-party support for state control over the Pension Funds are nothing more than a mockery: the only benefits of these proposals will be the consolidation of the pilfering of the many small Pension Funds to the looting of the few big Pension Funds.
The opposition parties PASOK, KKE, & SYRIZA, on the other hand, want to continue the plundering of the dispersed Pension Funds, as before…

Liberal Alliance supports the only proposal that will stop 'in their tracks' anybody who intents on pillaging the worker's contributions and this is the abolition of the state-run, defined benefit scheme to a defined contribution pension system managed by the private sector under supervision by a specialised government superintendency. With this system the citizens will be free to choose their Pension Fund (private or state-run) with the only criterion the best returns on their contributions, as they will be free to define the age of their retirement according with the pension contract, they will choose.

The thuggery of the Union Leaders of the Public Electricity Company (DEH) must be prosecuted and brought to justice.

03 February 08-Liberal Alliance press release

Liberal Alliance condemns the actions of the Workers Union of the Public Electricity Company (DEH) who having broken into the offices of the Company, and flanked by MPs from PASOK and SYRIZA they violently interrupted the company's board meeting.

So the governing board's meeting of DEH was postponed for the third time. When members of the board asked why the Union Leaders did not sumbit a motion for postponement, the president of the Union responded arrogantly that 'we did not ask for a postponement, we are imposing one…'

The thugs of the GENOP-DEH (the Workers Union of DEH) and the MPs of PASOK and SYRIZA, pretending to be the defenders …. of democracy and progress are breaking every sense of lawfulness and once more they go unpunished, whilst they vehemently claim that 'Law is what is right for the worker' actually meaning their own.

Liberal Alliance wishes to remind that DEH is a company listed at the stock exchanges of Athens and London and it belongs to the shareholders and not to the thugs of GENOP-DEH (the company's worker's union)
Liberal Alliance calls the shareholders of DEH to demand the presence of a District Attorney at the next meeting of the Board which is scheduled on the 5 February, so that anyone from GENOP-DEH who will attempt acts of violence, intimidation and coercion, will be arrested and brought to justice.

Liberal Alliance fights for the complete and full withdrawal of the state from any business activity and the complete privatization of the Public Benefit Companies (DEKO) so that the citizens will be freed from the tyranny of subversive groups , the union leaders being amongst them, which leech on these Companies for decades.

Defending Statism in Greece is, to say the least, suspicious

1 February 2008 -Liberal Alliance Press Release

Liberal Alliance wishes to remind that since its foundation it has declared that the sole purpose of state control over various organisations, and companies is to perpetuate the intra-party incompetence and unaccountability and the unpunished looting of their assets from the known malign groups that have settled within them.

The international press which revealed information about SIEMENS bribing Greek political parties and officials of the Hellenic Teleommunications Organisation (OTE) , confirms the above mentioned conclusion and renders any support of state control as suspicious.

The motives of the Greek Governement which forbids private investors to own more than 20% of 'national strategic importance' companies, securing the control of the government is to say the least suspicious.

The motives of the opposition parties, PASOK, SYRIZA (Coalition of the Radical Left) and KKE (Communist Party of Greece) and union leaders that fight sometimes violently to retain the status quo is again suspicious.

It will be truly intriguing to see how all these politicians and unionists, will continue to persuade the Greek citizens that the real motives for keeping these companies and organizations within the grasp of the state is not because they want to keep their scandalous privileges.

At the opposite end of this absurdity, Liberal Alliance is the only Greek political party who immediately notified the EU Commission against the Greek Government actions which by law institutionalise the state control of the 'Social Benefit Public Companies' (DEKO).
Liberal Alliance is also the only Political Party which submitted all the information it had at its possession regarding the SIEMENS scandal, to the Public Prosecutor of the Hellenic Supreme Court.

Liberal Alliance will continue this fight to keep on revealing the real causes of the stagnation and corruption so after the collapse of the political duopoly (New Democracy-PASOK) will not be followed by the irresponsible populism of SYRIZA nor of the dangerous rhetoric of the Far Left and the Far Right.

EU Commissioner follows up on Liberal Alliance's notification

13 January 2008-Liberal Alliance press release

Liberal Alliance wants to express its satisfaction regarding the expedient action of the European Commission to check on the Greek Government's decision to forbid any private investor to own more than 20% of any organization deemed of 'national strategic importance'.

The European Commission issued a letter with 17 points to the Greek Government questioning the legality of this decision. The letter accepts the arguments that Liberal Alliance stated in the notification of this matter to the Competition Commissioner, Mr Mc Creevy.

This was not surprising given that Liberal Alliance's position is based on the legal precedents of the European Court and particularly to the condemning decisions against Germany, Holland, Italy, Great Britain and Spain.

But despite the abundance of condemning legal decisions, the Greek Government deceives the Greek citizens, pretending that this serious letter from the Commission, is nothing more than ' usual process of exchanging views between the Greek ministries and the European Commission' and denying that it is not because of Liberal Alliance's actions.
The Greek Government shamelessly claims that since the German government take similar protectionist action, there should be no problem with the European Court confirming the the theory that Greece 's humiliation is one of the prime objectives of the Greek governement.

It is now becoming apparent that state control of the sectors of 'strategic importance' currently exercised by the governement of New Democracy and the malign groups that act inside these sectors is indeed of 'strategic importance' to themselves and themselves alone.
Why so? Because as the press has revealed that the German Authorities now investigate accusations of Siemens bribing of members of PASOK and New Democracy and officials of the Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (OTE). Should this accusations proved to be true, it will explain to a great degree what is really at stake for the defenders of statism.

Liberal Alliance has already informed the Attorney of the Hellenic Supreme Court and passed every information it has on this matter and intend to issue further information to the European Commission.
Liberal Alliance intends to continue with every lawful and political mean to fight for the immediate and full privatization of all the State Organisations of Social Benefit as they are called, the opening of the markets which they control as monopolies, to Greek and foreign investors, and for the development of fair competition within a free economy.

Port privatization: What do the unionists and their masters really want?

17 January 2008-Liberal Alliance Press Release

Liberal Alliance supports the efforts to privatize the container ports of Peiraeus and Thessaloniki as this will benefit the Greek Economy.

The rapid development of World trade combined with the global domination of Greek shipping (3084 ships in 2007) could have many positive effects to the local economies of many Greek cities with port infrastructure.
But state ownership of the main Greek ports resulted in their inability to compete, mainly because of the inefficient management, leaving the advantage at this sector to neighboring Turkey.

The lost competitiveness of the Peiraius and Thessaloniki Port Organisations (OLP & OL.TH) is confirmed by the international list of ports that attract the greater volume of containers in the world. According to this list, Port of Peiraius held the 49th place until 2003. Thessaloniki was not on the list. From 2004 Peiraius stopped featuring too.

Still union leaders, flanked by their political masters sometimes violently fight for the continuation of state control on the ports.
Liberal Alliance condemns these practices and also condemns vehemently the regime of political cover and luck of punishment that the thuggery of state-brewed unionists of the ports and elsewhere, enjoys for decades.

Liberal Alliance submits that in this case what really is at stake is the power and 'privilege' of the port workers union leaders, to inflict great damage to the companies who export and import goods through the container ports, by unjustified industrial actions.
The president of the EBEA (Chamber of Commerce and Industry) was direct in his discussions with the Port Workers Federation, the latter seek nothing less than ensuring they will receive 'commissions' from the financial transactions between Port organisations and Businesses.

Liberal Alliance supports the freeing of the economy from the control of any malign group that leeches on it, benefiting from any business activities that the Greek government is involved with.
Liberal Alliance proposes the immediate privatization of the port infrastructure of Greece, which will lead to the regaining of their lost competitiveness and transform their host cities to international centres of shipping , transport and commerce.

Liberal Alliance notifies the Hellenic Supreme Court, for the Siemens scandal

7 January 2008-Liberal Alliance Press Release

Liberal Alliance notified by letter the attorney of the Hellenic Supreme Court (Areios Pagos), the information that is in its possession regarding the legal inquiries carried out by the German Authorities investigating the press stories according which, Siemens bribed Greek officials, members of the main parties and managers of OTE (the Greek Telecommunications Organisation).

According to this information SIEMENS was consistently and covertly supporting financially both PASOK and New Democracy 'in order to ensure that it will be favored constantly by the government whichever party was in power'.

Liberal Alliance consider this matter of utmost importance for the functioning of Democracy in Greece and calls the Greek Authorities to cooperate fully with the Attorney in Munich in order for all the culprits, bribing and bribed to be brought to justice.

State Intervention can seriously damage your health

10 January 2008-Liberal Alliance Press Release

Liberal Alliance states its opposition to a recent law that obliges gyms in Greece to stay closed on Sundays. According to the Law passed by the ministries of Health,Culture and Planning (FEK 221 13/10/2006) 'Gyms and Fittness centres should be open on weekdays from 6 o'clock in the morning to midnight and on Saturdays from 6 o'clock in the morning to 8 o'clock in the evening. On Sunday, they should be closed.'

It is more than obvious that this action harms mainly private sector workers who could work-out only on Sunday and now have to cope with overcrowded gyms during Saturdays

It also harms the gyms that were keeping their facilities open 24/7. Given that it will be difficult for the government to enforce the opening times and that it is very common to disobey the law in Greece without punishment, the gyms that will not obey the law, will compete unfairly with the gyms that will observe the opening times.

Liberal Alliance believes that once more the Greek government intervenes in an irrational manner at a business activity, at a time when Greece tops the tables of obesity and unhealthy lifestyle.

Liberal Alliance is against any limiting intervention by the government to the opening hours of private businesses and supports the freeing up of the opening times. This will serve best the consumers, will increase business profitability and create more jobs in the process.

Happy New Year from Liberal Alliance

Liberal Alliance wishes a Happy New Year to all of you and your families with health, happiness and fulfillment of all your expectations.

In 2007 we commenced our campaign to release Greece from an overbearing State and the subversive special interests that leech on it, to restore respect to individual freedoms and propagate the reforms that will liberate the creativity of our society.

We hope that with your help, we will make 2008 a year that will bring more successes to our campaign.