P. Skourletis: Excess profit of 2.2 billion euros for electricity producers, accuracy for households and businesses

For the necessity of a complete transformation of government policy, which is subordinated to energy interests and does not aim at the core of precision, which would reduce inflationary pressures in Greece, at the same time that since July 2021 the power generation companies have recorded surplus profits of 2.2 billion euros, said the Parliamentary Representative of SYRIZA – Progressive Alliance and Member of Parliament, Panos Skourletis.

Referring (OPEN TV) to the issues of the fires, Panos Skourletis emphasized that not everything can be focused on communication management by the government, while thousands of acres were burned and are burning against the backdrop of a lack of personnel and material means, with the absence of a plan adapted to the new climatic conditions.

In this context, he said about:

Energy accuracy and inflation

The excess accuracy has the signature of Mr. Mitsotakis and we see it in inflation. Eggs have increased by 32%, where is this situation going? We are the most expensive country in petrol and oil. Really, the government should do a 180-degree turn in its policy. Unfortunately I don’t see any optimistic outlook for the coming winter.

They increased the dependence of Greek energy production on natural gas by their own decisions, when it decreased by 20% in previous years across Europe. They work for a financial oligarchy in the field of energy. Now, in retrospect, they discovered the lignite fields and factories, which Mr. Mitsotakis wanted to close by 2024, without any serious planning. We pay for these mistakes and do not interfere with the mechanism of speculation. Yesterday we presented research that shows in the twelve months 2022-2021, from July to July, excess profits of 2.2 billion euros, when they give direction to the Energy Regulatory Authority for calculation so that what, hypocritically, Mr. Mitsotakis said in the Parliament, will not be taxed , that they will be taxed at 90%.

In relation to Europe’s attitude. Yes, it is a war, but Europe must work for peace and not be America’s weapon, the USA’s “sausage”. Today Europe should take the lead in a great peace effort. (…) When, after the fall of the wall, there were permanent expansions of NATO, in the context of a strategy to strangle Russia, we would inevitably be led to this tension. Europe failed to do this after the collapse of existing Socialism. To build an independent, unified defense system that would be the main pillar of peace. The responsibilities here are huge. Now he pays the “broken”, which is much more than the penalties he imposes. The ruble has improved its exchange rate with the dollar, the surplus of the Russian economy has improved, Europe is paying the “broken”, the Americans are selling weapons and expensive LNG. We will suffer.

Fires

Can we be happy and come to terms with the reality that year after year the country is burning? The fire in Penteli reached approximately 20,000 acres and fires continue in other areas of the country. Penteli, remember when you hear about it, from the late 70s early 80s, it burns and burns again. Penteli is one of the lungs of Lekanopedi. How was Penteli built, what are the eternal responsibilities? You saw these tragic images, houses being built on streams and ravines and then we talk about the winds, the eddies… But we knew that. And at the same time that we have an accumulated, tragic experience of disasters, forest maps have been suspended as a project. That is, those who protect, define where the forest is, what you can do, how much you can do, here you can’t do anything, here you can build. (…) The point is to have a different treatment that will put an end to it. There is a “high point” around these issues, which is constantly shifting.

Everyone talks about the need for prevention, but we give more money to the cause of extinguishing. There have been 3,500 firefighter vacancies for a year and a half. What to do thanksgiving, when people, who have been doing this work for years as seasonal, ask to have a rudimentary job security and last year they were treated as they were treated, outside the Ministry. These are the problems that cannot be solved. Despite the drumbeats and the new Ministry, I do not see a different plan, which responds to a situation of extreme climate crisis, which does not only concern Greece, it concerns the entire Mediterranean. Even outside of London they had fires. So how are we going to go, with “arabba”? With the same design? Do all of these need to be updated? The issues of responsibilities are coming back again, the same and the same. So, we can’t be happy. I would like to hear from all political forces that we are not happy. But there is no such effort, there is a communicative disposition to admire ourselves. This is an element of criticism.