The issue of the loan obligations of the Southwest raises with a topical question to the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the leader of the opposition Al. Tsipras.
The President of SYRIZA asks Mr Mitsotakis (1) Why the ruling party's loan obligations to the banks will increase by 34,285,291.72 euros in 2020, while in the last four years of the alleged consolidation the debt of New Democracy has increased by approximately 118 million euros; and (2) What are the existing arrangements for all of New Democracy's loan obligations, what are the terms and conditions of these arrangements and (3) What are the existing arrangements for all of New Democracy's loan obligations? why does it refuse to make them public to this day?;
Expanding on his question, Mr Tsipras said that “the publication of the balance sheets of political parties for the year 2020, as provided for by the current legislation, has once again brought to the fore the issue of the extremely problematic financial situation of certain parties and, in particular the issue of their bank loans, which for the ruling party of the Southwest now amounts to the astronomical amount of 342,950,583.94 euros.
He also notes that “despite the efforts of the 2015-2019 period for financial consolidation and transparency in the financial management of the parties and in complete contradiction to the proclamations of Mr Mitsotakis, who declared himself proud that he had managed to put his party's finances in order, the Southwest is proving to continue the same «sinful» policy of the past. Despite the fact that it increased its net revenues between 2019 and 2020, as well as its degree of consolidation and cash liquidity, appears to have increased its loan liabilities to banks by EUR 34 285 291,72, i.e. by 11%, in just one year!” Mr Tsipras stresses.
According to the leader of SYRIZA, “this is a situation that is, as is obvious, a lasting mine to the foundations of the political life of the country and the healthy functioning of democracy, as it raises issues of transparency and independence of political parties, and indeed of the party that currently manages the fate of the country. It turns out that for part of the political system, the problem is structural and, as shown by the recently published balance sheet of the ruling party, it continues and is growing”.
At the same time, he adds, “the economic choices of the leadership of New Democracy constitute a direct challenge to the whole of Greek society. A challenge, to the thousands of small and medium-sized borrowers, who are watching in horror the entry into force of the new bankruptcy law (ν. 4738/2020 “Settlement of debts and provision of second chance and other provisions”), which equates ordinary natural persons with traders and businessmen, abolishes any kind of protection of the first home and leaves every indebted citizen facing the risk of liquidation of all his property, at the simple request of his creditors. But also a challenge to the thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises and households, which have faced huge liquidity problems in the last year, but they understand that the «canoe» of bank lending remains closed for them or is accompanied by particularly onerous, if not prohibitive, conditions.’.
