1000 euros per day per patient the cost at the Greek State hospitals where healthcare is 'free'.

Liberal Alliance press release 23 September 2008

Liberal Alliance (Greek Liberals) points out to the Greek Citizens, that according to reliable sources (letter of former minister of Health, Mr Solomos, to newspaper Kathimerini (16/9/2008), the daily cost per patient, at the public hospital has reached 1000 euros. This is how much every taxpayer pays, for each day he spends at State Hospitals of the 'Public Free Healthcare'.

Just at the Healthcare Fund for Civil Servants, according to recent press stories, it was concluded that 40% of the expenses were non-existent, prompting, a legal action, against the managers of the fund.

The cost of this 'virtual' spending, only for 2007, arose to 300 million euros, and this spending was tolerated by the union representatives of ADEDY (Civil Sector Workers Union), who were members of the board of the Healthcare and Insurance Fund.

This outrageous waste, the mismanagement, unlawful actions, and lack of transparence, at the purchasing of medicine, and other materials, and salaries, have lead to the current dead end. It has become apparent that the main cause for this, is the heavy involvement by the State to the provision of Healthcare, a State that is unable to conduct good management, enforcing the laws contrary to the above tasks, with a consensus by all main parties, wastes the Greek taxpayer's money to benefit a few organised special interests and favorable businesses.

Liberal Alliance proposes the complete independence and autonomy of all the Healthcare, Education and Insurance Institutions, so that citizens can choose the Healthcare, Insurance and Education provider they prefer.

Liberal Alliance proposals includes a personal healthcare allowance provided by the State, instead of taxing the citizens for the benefit of State monopolies from which they will find their way to few privileges groups and established political parties.

'Public Data Our Data' for complete, reliable and useful information for the Greek Citizens

Liberal Alliance press release 11 September 2008

Liberal Alliance (Greek Liberals) support the citizen's initiative for free access to Public Data, ' Public Data Our Data' (or 4Ds from the acronym of the Greek phrase).

It is commonly accepted that there is lack of transparency in Greece with incidents of plundering of public property, be they taxpayer's money or state owned assets, are part of everyday life.

The Citizen's initiative 4Ds brings hope of defiance and responsibility in this malign climate.

Liberal Alliance supports the 4Ds initiative and believes that citizen's access to public data, responds to the need for transparency, eases and promotes research and innovation and can lead to services that can better suit the citizens, encourages bottom-up activities and finally provides an effective check on the authorities.

The Greek Government has disregarded for decades the citizen's right to access public information whilst has constantly attempted to acquire citizens' private information, violating their right to privacy.

Greek Government's attitude to consider the Greek Citizens its ' subjects', violates a number of international guidelines and EU Directives such as Directive 2003/98/EK-Use of Public Sector Data. Everybody is convinced that the Government withholds information about its activities and this makes any Government's statement been seen as totally unreliable, aiming at the deceit of the Greek Citizens and/or European Union.

Liberal Alliance believes the State does not have a legitimate entitlement to receive money from the taxpayer or manage a public asset, unless, it provides a detailed account of its activities and the use of the taxes.

Such accounts when published must be accompanied by the appraisal of an independent authority on matters of Data Accuracy and the value of money that was accomplished.

However it is in this context that Liberal Alliance points out that any initiative demanding free access to information will not achieve its desired goals. If it is not accompanied by radical reform of the Government's role so that public information will not only be accessible but also complete, reliably and truly useful for its citizens.

Liberal Alliance's manifesto proposes all the necessary measures for the above purpose.

Economy free from State meddling- for less corrupt free-riders in politics

Liberal Alliance press release 5 September 2008

Liberal Alliance (Greek Liberals) will join its forces and defend any citizens or politicians who with their actions of defiance and resistance, help the acceleration of the collapse of the current corrupt political establishment.

Prime Minister's threats for striking out of his party, and for calling early elections in case any MP votes against a Government bill, reveal the dire political situation that he is in, because of the corruption scandals that members of his cabinet see the light of publicity almost daily.

Most of these scandals involve politicians accused of getting richer by running State-owned Businesses and Funds, and by the entanglement of these with dubious private businesses, where the same politicians have an interest in.

For Liberal Alliance corruption will continue as long as the State maintains its business activities and as long as a political career means easy access to wealth but no guaranty of punishment.

It is becoming more and more clear that as long as State controls Companies, Pension Funds, Health and Education, holding public office will yield power that can be easily abused.

A career in politics attracts the populist and the free-rider resulting in the current penury of expertise and principles of today's Greek political establishment.

Liberal Alliance submits that the withdrawal of the State from every business activity it is currently involved with, will deprive the ulterior motives for any unscrupulous politicians currently found in all the political parties as the State will no longer possess this amount of wealth. A politician's reason to enter politics should not be to escape from poverty or to satisfy their greed.

Implementing Liberal Alliance's proposals for the Economy will redefine the role of the politician not as someone who serves his own career development and finances but as someone who serves public interest. It is only logical that as political activity drains on one's resources with out tangible benefit for one's shelf that a career in politics will result in someone getting poorer not richer.

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 Control of the Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE): What is really at stake?

20 December 2007 Liberal Alliance Press Release

Liberal Alliance notes the press stories (Sueddeutsche Ζeitung,December 18, 2007) revealing investigations carried out by the German Authorities about bribes of SIEMENS to Greek Political Parties and managers of the Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE). According to this preliminary information, SIEMENS was 'covertly supporting' both PASOK and New Democracy in order to ensure the company's favourable position whichever big party happened to be in power

Liberal Alliance considers this matter of greatest importance affecting the very function of democracy in Greece and calls for the Greek Justice authorities to cooperate fully with the prosecutors in Munich so that any bribing businessmen and any bribed politicians and employees of the OTE will be revealed and face criminal prosecution.

Beyond the criminal aspect of this matter, Liberal Alliance considers that these revelations pose a serious question about the real motives of all the politicians and union leaders who defend state control over OTE. The revelations also bring into question the motives of recent decision by the Greek Government to forbid to private investors to acquire more than 20% of the companies of 'national strategic importance' so that the state control will not be in jeopardy.

Liberal Alliance responded immediately to this decision, notifying the matter to the European Union's Competition Commissioner and asking for his intervention, and submitting that the government control over OTE and other Public Services Organizations, perpetuate the intra party corruption and the unpunished stripping of their assets from special interests.

One week after the Liberal Alliance has notified the EU Competition Commissioner, the recent press information from Germany confirms the sad state of affairs.