Leftists blast Greek government over deal for airports
SYRIZA’s Left Platform slammed the government on Tuesday over its decision to proceed with the concession deal for 14 regional Greek airports, accusing the coalition of “surrendering” public assets, as the rift in the party between those willing to implement the country’s new bailout agreement and those vehemently opposed to it grows.
The Left Platform-affiliated website iskra.gr published an article accusing the government of handing over the airports for a “measly sum as a prize to German interests.” The 40-year contract for the airports has been awarded to a consortium led by Germany’s Fraport AG but also including Greece’s Copelouzos Group.
The article referred to the deal as being the “first fire sale under a SYRIZA government” and a “large present to [Angela] Merkel and [Wolfgang] Schaeuble, clearly in return for their services in the formation of the new, deplorable memorandum.”
Earlier, Stathis Leoutsakos, an MP who is part of the Left Platform, said that if Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras decides to hold a confidence vote, members of the radical faction would not back him. The Left Platform is expected to step up pressure on Tsipras in the coming days to allow greater debate in the party bodies about the policy direction chosen by the prime minister.
