Vassilis Chiotis, of newspaper and radio station TO VIMA, consolidated a list of 29 “abandoned promises” made by SYRIZA during its campaign that led to a 35% win in the Greek January 2015 elections.
Source: http://www.tovima.gr/opinions/article/?aid=680054
We provide the English translation of the “Chiotis List” with some KOLOTOUMBA (KT) comments for clarity.
1. “Starting today, there will be no more Troika”. Statement by PM Alexis Tsipras only one week ago at Brussels. The following day the TROIKA (KT: the three Institutions EU/ECB/IMF) and Varoufakis (KT: Greek Finance Minister) exchanged emails with their positions and proposals for the new program.
2. “We will no more accept instructions via email”. Statement made by the PM in his inaugural parliamentary speech. Since then, many emails have been exchanged which for surely led the government to succumb to new measures. (KT: Moreover, “Varoufakis List of Reforms”, the VL, was submitted by an email similarly as the previous government’s list known as the “Chardouvelis email”)
3. Unilateral partial elimination of the public debt. (KT: Greatest KOLOTOUMBA untill now, together with the abolition of the Mnimonio through the Greek Parliament “in one bill, one article”).
4. Public expenditure should not be calculated in the public fiscal deficit.
5. We shall not request and extension of the current program. (KT: Last Thursday, The Greek Government sent the official request of a 4-month extension).
6. No change in the social security system. (KT: The Varoufakis List – VL – includes terms of reform for a sustainable social security system)
7. Elimination of the zero-deficit clause in the pension funds.
8. ENFIA (the property ownership tax) shall be replaced by a tax aiming only at “large property ownership”.
9. VAT shall not be increased in island territories. (KT: The VL includes a clause stating that “VAT policy will be rationalized in relation to rates […] with a view to limiting exemptions while eliminating unreasonable discounts” leaving wide open the option for increases in cases which the VAT is lower than 23%).
10. Privatization of the Piraeus Port is stalled (KT: Kolotoumba had predicted this)
11. The contract for leasing the ELLINIKON property is stalled. (KT: The ELLINIKON is a huge public area in metropolitan Athens, where the Athens airport used to be up-to 2001 – In the VL, it is clearly stated that “[The Greek Government] commit not to roll back privatizations that have been completed”).
12. Income tax exemption is raised to 12.000 EUR.
13. Minimum wage is increased to 751 EUR. (KT: Nothing can be specifically decided for the short and/or long term – VL: “The scope and timing of changes to the minimum wage will be made in consultation with social partners and the European and international institutions, including the ILO, and take full account of advice from a new independent body on whether changes in wages are in line with productivity developments and competitiveness.” )
14. All public sector salaries are raised to their 2012 levels. (KT: This can only happen when and if Greece shows significant increase in productivity – The VL states that “[The Greek Government shall] reform the public sector wage grid with a view to decompressing the wage distribution through productivity gains and appropriate recruitment policies without reducing the current wage floors but safeguarding that the public sector’s wage bill will not increase”).
15. Unemployment beneficiaries are increased
16. TAIPED, (KT: the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund – HRDAF), is eliminated. (KT: On the contrary, TAIPED is expanding – “[The Greek Government] will unify HRDAF with various public asset management agencies (which are currently scattered across the public sector) with a view to developing state assets ”).
17. Staff mobility among public authorities is eliminated. (KT: In the VL, reference to the “Public administration & corruption” measures are included to “establish fair processes for maximizing mobility of human and other resources within the public sector”) .
18. Police is unarmed during demonstrations. (KT: During his first days as the new Alternate Minister of Public Order and Citizen Protection, Mr Giannis Panousis stated: “I don’t believe in the disarmament of the police”).
19. Elimination of the bonus of the 50 parliamentary seats for the winning political party.
20. Free electricity power to 300,000 families that live under the property threshold.
21. Program for free food catering for 300,000 pauper families. (KT: The VL devotes a vague paragraph, ensuring that [the Government’s] fight against the humanitarian crisis has no negative fiscal effect ”).
22. Payment re-financing/write-off for “red loans”. (KT: any new arrangement for Non Performing Loans should “take to account the Code of Conduct for Banks” and consider fully the banks’ capitalisation”, a VL statement that is far from a general write-off).
23. Establishment for a development bank and other special-purpose banks. (KT: For starts, ECB disapproved the new management proposed for the National bank of Greece – a clear case on who takes such decisions).
24. Program for 300,000 new jobs in the public and private sectors.
25. Substantial reduction of social security beneficiaries’ participation in expenses for pharmaceuticals. (KT: The Varoufakis List contains the following commitment: “Control health expenditure and improve the provision and quality of medical services, while granting universal access.” No mention on a reduction of beneficiaries’ participation).
26. Subsidization of home rentals for low-income citizens up-to 5 EUR per square meter.
27. Re-establishment of the Organization of Labor Housing (OEK) for the distribution of 25,000 apartments.
28. Elimination of equal levels for consumer taxes of heating and vehicle diesel. (KT: Before even addressing this, the Government needs to accomplish the target of “fuel and tobacco products’ smuggling […] to prevent revenue losses during the importation process), and tackle money laundering.”)
29. Establishment of public transport free card for long-term unemployed.
Many thanks to Vassilis Chiotis for granting us permission to translate the list and include it in kolotoumba.com.
KOLOTOUMBA.com 
According to the opinion of Mr Nikos Evangelatos (which is shared by other journalists as well) Germany is hard on GREECE aiming at discrediting and in practice “anulling” the present Government because Germany feels they cannot deal with such a radical left govenrment. Mr Evangelatos, therefore, believes (as many other journalists, possibly inclding Mr Chiotis) that the reforms on which Germany is insisting are part of this dark and undemocratic plan. I cannot accept this. I wonder why one needs to search for other dobious motives for the imposition of all the measures that are being proscribed to GREECE, when in fact we could just as well accept that they are plainly necessary. Who would disagree with :
– the necessity to fight tax evastion and corruption (thiis should not even be a reform under the FAFA !!!).
– the necessity to simplify business set ups
– the necessity for the State to reduce its expenses and incease its earnings
– the necesstiy of privatisations and attraction of Foreign Capital in GREECE
All the reforms prescribed to GREECE aim at fulfiling the above. I can accept that for anyone against the Eurozone and generally the EU, the above reforms appear evil. But one cannot say that we want to remain in the Eurozone, we want to receive the loans offered by the other European peoples (that are necessary in order to keep GREECE in one piece due to the debts created by the governments of New Democracy and PASOK- both of which did their best to dis-industrialize GREECE in the name of the “workers Rights” and to destroy all production mechanisms) and the same time to deny the reforms that are being prescribed as conditions to the loans offered !!! When journalits with the power of media treat the reforms as part of a dubious and obscure German plan, the people end up being misinformed and this, in connjunction with the totally irresponsible pre electoral plan of Syriza, creates a very dangerous political and social mixture. I believe that responsible journalists should reward this Government for being at least realistic, rather than criticising it for its Kolotoumbas.
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