The discussion of the bill entitled, “Fair development transition and regulation of specific de-ligation issues” began in the competent committee of the Parliament. Deputy Minister of Development and Investment Nikos Papathanasis spoke of “a very important, strong, flexible and efficient plan, which will establish a new productive energy model in the country by strengthening the economy”, while the opposition questioned its goals and blamed government that leads to further desertification of the regions of Western Macedonia.
“It is a very important bill that touches the life of a large region of Western Macedonia and aims to create a flexible and effective system of government, so that we can move quickly in the fair development transition,” said Mr. Papathanasis.
At the same time, responding to the criticism of the opposition, Mr. Papathanasis countered, among other things, that “for the first time in the history of the country, the government of ND and the Prime Minister, turn their attention to such an important issue, which changes the lives of thousands of citizens in an area “.
“The truth is that in 2019, the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, made the decision to move forward quickly, to open the financing gates that were closing and for the country to get money. “All the structural Community programs for the metallignant period come to our country and reach close to 7.5 billion euros”, he said.
“Today we are laying the foundation for a system of government that you did not do,” said Mr. Papathanasis, addressing SYRIZA, criticizing his stance on de-ligation.
“The de-ligation did not start so suddenly. And you of SYRIZA have a great responsibility, and you have to admit your mistakes, because while you started it, you were completely inactive. However, the government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis came and with his decision, the official state turned its attention to a major social problem. What we brought today, you should have brought in 2016. Greece lost time in planning for the transition to a cleaner energy mix, in a developmentally and socially just way. “And this lost ground is coming to the government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis to run to cover it quickly”, underlined the Deputy Minister of Development and Investment.
“Any other delay would result in the loss of significant money for the country,” Mr Papathanasis continued. “About 7.5 billion euros is the money that will come. Not even half would have come if our government had not proceeded with the plan immediately. More than 400 million euros will be allocated from the Recovery Fund for the rehabilitation of areas with lignite plants, while 24 billion euros will be financed for green investments “.
“Greece is the first country in the EU with the highest absorption of funds. What we do is the most efficient and fast. The aim of our project is the economic transformation of the production base of all lignite areas, the support and facilitation of the communication of all the projects that are needed. “There is great investment interest and we will achieve the rapid establishment of companies that will provide new jobs,” he stressed.
“The State, the Prime Minister, the government, consider that de-ligation is a very important step forward for the homeland. Its success will give many new jobs to young people in transition areas. Unlike SYRIZA, which led with its inaction to desertification of the regions, we want to reverse the climate, while giving the prospect of development of all lignite areas. The bill introduces the necessary institutional flexibility tools for the rapid implementation of our policies. It is already delivering the national plan for a fair development transition. “Greece was the first to submit a plan, managing to secure the largest funding and at the same time increased incentives for investments in vulnerable areas”, concluded Mr. Papathanasis.
SYRIZA
For her part, the SYRIZA rapporteur, Theopisti Perka, accused the government that, “after two and a half years of inactivity, it is redesigning the de-lignification with the absent society”.
“Your design follows a top-down approach, completely centralized, multifaceted, with ambiguities of responsibilities, roles, structures. It provides for new structures, with overlapping responsibilities. The de-lignification is done from Athens. “It is not even foreseen that the recruitments that will be made in the new structures and in the central administration, to come from the lignite areas, or at least to have additional locality scoring”, he stressed.
“Yes to de-lignification today, as long as adequacy and network security are ensured and if the socio-economic consequences of the transition are addressed. “But in these two and a half years nothing has been done, despite the announcements, the local community has been ostentatiously ignored, and the transition to equitable development has been entrusted to an indefinite initiative of the private sector”, said Ms. Perka.
At the same time, he referred to the commitment of Alexis Tsipras, “to institutionalize a zero deficit clause of growth rates and jobs in these areas” and added that “while we would expect to see in this bill some provision for the unemployed, for compensatory benefits in local communities, some incentives or the removal of obstacles, none of which is foreseen “.
He also described the resources of 7.5 billion euros as “hypothetical”, noting that they will arise only if there is a corresponding investment interest.
ΚΙΝΑΛ
KINAL’s special spokesman, George Arvanitidis, spoke of “sloppiness and vagueness of the government, with a bill that concerns a few and select entrepreneurs.”
“As serious as the frivolization fiasco on SYRIZA was, so serious is ND’s energy development plan. Unfortunately, this bill also concerns businesses for the few with vague promises for the many. It is without vision and perspective. The Minister of Development will be limited to making the investment traffic warden. This is the philosophy of the bill “, stressed the rapporteur of KINAL.
“Some people want everything done very quickly, without taking risks. The aim must be to move towards a sustainable energy democratic adjustment. It is clear that the bill does not take into account the significant uncertainties that exist. Sloppiness leads to despair in local communities. You imposed your own choices, leaving the local communities on the sidelines “, he noted and concluded:
“Without consultation, without co-formation and consensus, no plan can be effective. KINAL says that not everything is black or white, as ND and SYRIZA say. We need a spirit of cooperation and clear answers, a comprehensive development plan, co-formed with local communities, with a strong quality and socially equitable sign for green development. However, the government is interested in the few elected officials and does not care about the collateral losses that its plan creates “.
KKE
The special spokesman of the KKE, Giannis Delis, characterized the energy transition as “absolutely class and unfair” and stressed that “it is only thick words, what is said for a fair development transition”.
“No capitalist development is ever fair, nor can it be done without the exploitation of workers,” he said.
“They do not fit half-heartedly. Business groups, green predators are rapidly moving to a new field of investment with the comprehensive care of the state. This bill is strong proof. At the same time, some others remain in the hard world of unemployment, insecurity, energy poverty “, stressed Mr. Delis.
“Those who invoke the rising cost of lignite growers are completely artificial, because it has been launched through the pollution charges imposed by the EU and international competition,” he said.
“We are voting against the principle and the articles. “There is a way out for the modern needs of the people, in the proposal of the KKE that secures electricity as a social good”, he said.
GREEK SOLUTION
The expert speaker of the Hellenic Solution, Vassilis Viliardos, described energy policy as “a definition of charlatanism”, stressing that “we are not dogmatic, as long as we do not become dependent on energy and do not lose the country’s reserves of more than 300 billion euros “.
“Our energy independence is very important, and without lignite it is impossible,” he said.
Mr. Billiardos also claimed that “the bill has an embellished title for the fair transition, at the same time that we are paying dearly for the famous investments in the lignite areas from the early and violent de-ligation”.
The government submitted an implementation plan for the recruitment of those who will implement it, inadequate, without any costing from the General Accountant of the State and without any report on specific investments. And it is being filed while the reactions of the citizens to the price increases and of the workers who are reacting to the desertification of their areas are escalating. “This is an unacceptable bill, especially in the current circumstances – and we will vote against it.”
DAY 25
The special speaker of MeRA25, Kriton Arsenis, claimed that, “the bill brought by the government is a prescribed crime”.
“This is a rapid population cleansing in Western Macedonia. The desolation of the area has no precedent after the war, as its entire productive base collapses. You legislate without describing anything about soil remediation, energy transition and change of use of lignite plants. Soil restoration is enough to employ all lignite miners. “If there is no restoration, the place has no future, the land production is not restored and no possibility is given to prevent the population desertification”, Mr. Arsenis claimed and concluded:
“We support the de-ligation, but with a realistic plan, so that there are new jobs and not for the benefit of certain specific entrepreneurs, local and foreign. MeRA25 will vote against this criminal bill which is the gravestone for the region of Western Macedonia and obliges it to population depopulation “.
New Democracy
“The investment interest for Western Macedonia is already increased and this is extremely hopeful and optimistic. The investments will exceed 7.5 billion euros. We do not simply plan, but we proceed immediately to the implementation of the projects, gaining the lost time that the SYRIZA government left behind with its inaction “, countered the general rapporteur of ND Dimitris Karidis.
“The success of the project is a huge national challenge for the Greek economy. The draft law enables the Greek economy to create well-paid and specialized new jobs. “Greece and Europe’s choice is to lead the green transition,” he noted.
Commenting on the criticism of the opposition and especially of SYRIZA, Mr. Kairidis stated characteristically:
“We can not be, and with the greenhouse gas, and with the environment. These contradictions are recycled by the opposition, but it is time to overcome them. Otherwise we are charlatans, clowns. “Energy transition is a major reform of the EU, which aspires to remain a pioneer in tackling climate change.”
He also claimed that “the production of lignite energy is unprofitable and harmful” while he pointed out that “after 2015 absolutely nothing was done to prepare the country”.
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