Shades of Schadenfreude by opposition over SYRIZA govt’s sale of regional airports

At least two opposition leaders took aim squarely at the radical leftist SYRIZA government on Tuesday for its “forced” decision to sell 14 regional airports to a German joint venture, a prospect that SYRIZA had politically eviscerated when it was in the opposition as a “sell-off” and “suspicious scandal”.
Former PM Antonis Samaras reminded that SYRIZA had accused his conservative government of “selling off” the airport concessions in “fire sale” conditions.
Nevertheless, the sale was resurrected when the current government finally agreed to an urgent third bailout plan and an associated memorandum, whose conditions stipulate – in very plain English language — that privatizations are imperative.
“The government eventually opted to proceed with the privatization of 14 airports, exactly in the manner that the previous government had agreed to,” Samaras said, while then taking aim at PM Alexis Tsipras himself: “He could have apologized of course, but he has no shame…” , a reference to Tsipras’ very vociferous opposition and promise to kill the deal once in government.

Here’s Alexis Tsipras days before the Jan. 25 promising (in Greek) to annul the deal, while stating his opposition to “any” sale of state property.

Potami

On his part, centrist Potami leader Stavros Theodorakis said the privatization of the airports was merely delayed and with nary an effort by the radical leftists to improve sale conditions.
“We went from ‘hard negotiations’ to ‘no negotiations’,” was his bitter comment.
The Potami leader reminded that his party was in favor of the agreement all along, given the need for foreign direct investments and necessary modernization of the airports.
He closed by saying that the current left-rightist coalition government is a “hostage to its unfeasible pre-election promises”.