Tsakalotos accuses ND gov’t of piggybacking on SYRIZA legacy

Hours after conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced that Greece will soon remove the last remaining capital controls imposed on bank depositors at the height of the financial crisis, former finance minister Euclid Tsakalotos accused the government of piggybacking on his administration’s efforts to lift restrictions.

“The only reason that capital controls had not been fully lifted was the banks’ reluctance due to political uncertainty [caused by] the elections,” Tsakalotos said.

“In any case, this is a positive step, which was fully prepared by SYRIZA,” he said.

Tsakalotos said that the New Democracy government was benefiting from the economic legacy of the SYRIZA administration, adding that “we are still far from seeing a clear [ND] initiative.”

“Of course, in the case of New Democracy, not having its own economic policy is probably better than having one.”

Earlier on Monday, Mitsotakis said the removal of capital controls next week will end a long “cycle of insecurity.”

The restrictions mostly concern movement of funds abroad, for both individuals and businesses.