Nikos Androulakis described as a “second chance at dignity” the bill PASOK will table in Parliament today on private debt and what he called genuine protection for primary residences.
At a news conference to explain the substance of the proposal, however, he also made a clear, if indirect, reference to the recent “incident” involving the Hellenic Police and the much-discussed article by columnist and party official Thanasis Karteros.
“In the face of guns and water pistols, we will stay focused on our goal of political change, say no to toxicity and insist on a clear, progressive programme in opposition to New Democracy,” he said.
He stressed that “this is the formula for victory and it will not change”, restated his position that “political change will come only if PASOK comes first in the election and New Democracy comes second”, and then issued a call to voters: “The time has come for PASOK to join hands with Greek society and move the country forward.”
Without naming the Hellenic Police or Alexis Tsipras, Mr Androulakis remarked: “When you choose associates who use such toxic language, you bear responsibility. They called the then prime minister Pinochet (referring to George Papandreou); we have long memories.” He added that “PASOK knows its own mistakes too, but it is moving forward.”
Posing the question himself, “Why is PASOK the only party that can beat New Democracy?”, he pointed, beyond its programme, to his conviction that only PASOK “can appeal across the board to voters, including those who voted for New Democracy.” He concluded that, as the election approaches, “the battle for the centre will be fought, given the scale of the government’s attacks on PASOK.”
On the bill and the need to table it in Parliament, party spokesman Kostas Tsoukalas said unregulated private debt amounted to €230 billion.
The party’s policy chief, Milena Apostolaki, called it “unthinkable” that seven years had to pass before the prime minister announced a measure preventing a servicer from breaching an agreed contract that was being honoured.
Another policy chief, technocrat Dimitris Spyrakos, set out the proposal in detail. Mr Androulakis warmly thanked him for his work.
The bill proposes eight measures covering:
- Protection for primary residences and agricultural property.
- Genuine 120-instalment plans.
- The out-of-court settlement mechanism and the operation of servicers.
- The borrower’s right of first refusal.
- Swiss-franc loans.
- Guarantors.
- A seizure-protected business account.
- The abolition of abusive bank charges.