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.