The Greek government managed to pass a new multi-bill of ‘prior actions’ through te parliament, with 152 MPs voting in favour and 141 against. The bill was the subject of a long, heated debate in the Parliament and was met with outrage by the unions and many community organizations. One of the key points is the transfer of several state organizations into the portfolio of the controversial privatization fund, not least among them the the Public Power Corporation, the Athens and Thessaloniki water and sewerage companies (EYDAP and EYATH respectively), the Hellenic Vehicle Industry (ELBO) and Attiko Metro.
Earlier in the day, hundreds of workers gathered outside Parliament to protest the new measures in a small but vehement demonstration, among them member unions and representatives of the organizations to be transferred to the privatization fund.
Even among the governing SYRIZA party, many MPs were opposed to the sale of assets, as well as other measures included in the multi-bill, raising fears of defection, during the vote and risking the stability of the coalition, but opted to vote in favour, nonetheless, after intervnentions by the Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, and Finance Minister, Euclid Tsakalotos.
Addressing the concerns of his colleagues, who stated that water should remain a public asset, Tsakalotos insisted that all the assets included in the bill will be subject to lease rather than sale. However, legislation approved earlier this year allows for the organizations to be exploited in a number of ways including via their sale or lease to third parties.