Yes to open shops on Sunday 28/12 (and every other Sunday too)

Liberal Alliance press release 26 December 2008

Liberal Alliance (Greek Liberals) supports for the recent measure to allow the shops in Athens to open for business, on Sunday 28 December 2008 (last Sunday of the year) and demands that this measure is extended for the rest of the country, and for the rest of the year.

Liberal Alliance will stand by any shopkeeper that will work this day, against the irrational and hostile behavior they experienced during the week from the Greek Government the opposition parliamentary parties of the opposition and the unions

The inalienable right to work, the contribution of businesses to economic growth and event the democratic process does not seem to be acknowledged from certain unions of shop workers. Some of them invaded the conference room of the Athens Prefecture during a meeting of the council of the prefecture on Wednesday 24 December 2008, and forcibly reversed the decision from the Greek Ministry of Development, and forced the Council of the Prefecture first to confirm that the shops would stay closed.
Then the Prefect Mr. Scouros, changed the decision again to allow the opening of the shops only within the borders of the Athens Municipality.

Liberal Alliance have repeatedly concluded that businesses in Greece is neither recognized nor rewarded but the there is a constant hostility against them and against any lawfully made profit. Within this negative climate for businesses, the damages from the recent riots, the 25% drop in sales, and the heavy taxation, opening the shops on Sunday is a matter for survival for the shops and the only rational course of action.

At the opposite end from anyone who demonizes any business activity, Liberal Alliance contents that the complete deregulation of the opening hours will revitalize the economy, and the market competition will reduce unemployment and inflation, will provide more negotiating powers for the employees, and improvement of quality of life for all.

Liberal Alliance's vision is a free market with simple but strict anti-cartel and public health laws, that will create rapid economic growth, and new jobs. Businesses are not alone any more, because Liberal Alliance will support them at their difficult effort to create wealth and to face the attacks from those who deny freedom.

New appeal by Liberal Alliance to European commission

Liberal Alliance press release 15 May 08

With its recent press release (12.05.08) Liberal Alliance (Greek Liberals) explained how the recent Public Utility Vehicles Driver’s strike in Greece, is against the best interests of Greek Society. Liberal Alliance believes the extortion Greeks face by strong unions is perversely protected by state legislation and the political establishment

Liberal Alliance considers that the lack of free market in transportation services is one of the main reasons for the high cost of living for Greeks, as the cost is not based in the market prices but in political favoritism and extortion which is often accompanied by violence.

For Liberal Alliance this situation is intolerable. Today Liberal Alliance has appealed again to the E.U. Commission, this time requesting the true liberalization of the Public Utility Driver's licensing regime.

Liberal Alliance believes that the Businesses must have the freedom to choose the means that supply their goods.

Liberal Alliance' appeal to European Commission notes that the laws protecting the profession of Public Utility Vehicle Drivers in Greece, infringe on articles 14 and 28 of European Treaty about the freedom of movement for goods but also infringes on article 43 about freedom of establishing business. Liberal Alliance's appeal makes particular reference to the sensitive issue of the laws regulating the storage, transportation and distribution of oil products

Liberal Alliance requests from the European Commission the use of all the legal actions possible for the abolition of protectionist practices at this sector. The liberalization, of the transportation services, will reduce the high cost of living in Greece due to the increase of competition and the reduction in transportation costs.

Liberal Alliance proves that its first concern is the prosperity of the Greek family, and accuses Greek parliamentary parties for populism and hiding the reasons behind the high cost of living.

Public Utility Vehicle Drivers go on a strike (again): Greek Society (once more) suffers.

Liberal Alliance press release 12 May 08

Liberal Alliance (Greek Liberals) shares the exasperation of Greek citizens as they continue to suffer from the recent strike of the powerful lobby of the Public Utility Vehicle Drivers.
One of the results from the strike, has been the skyrocketing of the petrol prices to 1.59 Euro per litre as petrol stations to run out of petrol. Liberal alliance outlines the risk for Athens to be once more drawn in piles of rubbish as Rubbish Collection vehicles have petrol for just one more day.

The Public Utility Vehicles in Greece operate under a strict Licensing regime controlled by the Greek Government. Under this form of blatant protectionism, the Greek Ministry of Transport defines the annual rise for rates, which often conflict with the licensed drivers' interests who in their turn go on strike. The strikes often end in violence and illegal actions by the organized pressure groups, which violently block private owned lorries and other vehicles, to supply the petrol stations. The incidents of terrorizing and thuggery go unpunished as the parliamentary parties are entangled with these pressure groups.

The lack of free market results in the low quality and the high cost of transportation services the cost of which is transferred to the Greek consumer of the transferred goods. Liberal Alliance condemns the hypocrisy of Greek parliamentary parties for hiding the true reason for this battering of the income of Greek citizens, while they preach for it.

Liberal Alliance supports the abolition of this antiquated regime, which will give a final blow to the extortion of Greek society from one more special interests group. Deregulation will lead to the reduction of high transportation services in Greece, as the sector will face the competitive European transportation market.

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.

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.

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.

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.