Greece sold the port of Piraeus to the Chinese – SPIEGEL ONLINE

At the heart of the Greek capital Athens, to visit two realities on Friday: one shows in the Zappeion, a majestic building from the 19th century, picturesquely situated in the National Garden in the heart of the Greek capital. Here celebrate impeccably dressed Minister, the Athens mayor, technocrats and the head of the Chinese shipping company Cosco a mega deal: the sale of a 67-percent stake in Greece’s main port of Piraeus for the next 36 years to the Chinese

. second reality exists a few hundred meters from the Zappeion away: Mad dockers Outlying skirmishes with riot police – they are afraid because of the deal for their jobs. However, the police keeps workers from getting to spoil the party. The chairman of the Dockers’ Union, Giorgos Georgakopoulos accuses the Syriza-led government under Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to have broken their promises and to promote the “sell-in’s worst neoliberal spirit of Margaret Thatcher”.

In the Zappeion the noise is suppressed by the music of the Greek composer Manos Hatzidakis, which trickles from the speakers. Numerous bottles of carefully selected Greek wines help to lift your mood.

But also about the wine and the delicious appetizers, the Greek Minister have to be reasons good things: The Piraeus-privatization is the second successful sale of state ownership of the Syriza government after the agreement with the German Fraport to acquire 14 regional airports was signed a few months ago. As the airport deal was the sale of the port for months on ice while the Tsipras government negotiated with its lenders – until they had to accept a new aid program last August. In opposition, Alexis Tsipras had opposed the privatization vehemently.

signal

But now, in its second term, Syriza offers several advantages from the agreements with global giants is important: “This deal can a turning point for the Greek economy and the Greek-Chinese relations “, the Greek Deputy Prime Minister Yannis Dragasakis SPIEGEL ONLINE said on the sidelines of the celebration. “And this will remain an isolated case. Greece is its strong relationship with China at many levels”. Tsipras is expected in the coming weeks on a visit to the Chinese capital Beijing.

For the Greek government the Cosco deal is one of the few good news in a time in which the refugee crisis and the quarrels with the international creditors about the disbursement of new loan tranches in return for painful reforms dominate the headlines. Several government officials who in the negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), European Central Bank (ECB), European Commission and the euro bailout fund ESM involved, showed optimism that the talks are completed before the Greek Easter celebration on May 1st. “Do not worry, you can go to the Easter holiday,” said a minister

From the Piraeus-Deal hopes the government in Athens more than just a financial advantage. Greece is first to sell the 67- percent share of Piraeus get 368.5 million euros, also Cosco has pledged to invest 350 million euros over the next ten years.

More importantly Syriza but the signal: Greece is open to investment and the economy from the worst out. So far, the privatization, which were a major point of international credit programs since 2010, just introduced 3.5 billion euros.

U-turn of Syriza

Greece’s former finance minister and current central bank boss Yanis Stournaras stressed this point: “The sale is Greece bring a number of advantages, especially of course economic, but not only: the deal marks the beginning of a new chapter for our country, “Stournaras said.

And what Syriza says today about the own earlier concerns? Lange had promised the Alliance to keep strategic assets such as ports or power utilities owned by the state.

Olga Gerovasili, chief spokeswoman for the government and one of the closest confidants of Tsipras, also has an answer: “We have a new agreement signed.” so you mean the 86-billion-euro loan program on that Tsipras had agreed in August with the Euro Group. “This agreement obligates us to perform certain privatizations -.. And we intend to fulfill these obligations, if you ask me if we would follow a different path, if we could turn back time, we would have done well, but that’s now no longer possible “

the reversal of Syriza is a through ball for the conservative opposition party New Democracy (ND) -. which is significantly lower in the polls now before Syriza. The liberal politician and ND Vice President Kostis Hatzidakis was also at the ceremony in the Zappeion “. This privatization was conducted by us in the way, when we were in government and I am pleased that it has now been completed,” Hatzidakis said. “It shows that Syriza has finally arrived in the real world.”