With the release of the Paradise Papers documents on tax evasion, it appears that the issues of transparency, tax dodging and corruption are expected to dominate public political debate in Greece for some time.
Both the ruling Syriza party and main opposition New Democracy are expected to clash fiercely over the new evidence, especially if the Paradise Papers lists contain the names of Greek politicians or their relatives, or of businessmen linked to politicians or parties.
Hours after the first data from the Paradise Papers was released, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras stressed his government’s resolve in continuing its battle against tax havens and tax evasion and in imposing rules of transparency and justice.
For his part, opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned the government that it must conduct rapid and effective audits of all the individuals or legal entities involved, and avoid “its well know tactic of communications sensationalism”.
Mitsotakis’ associates believe the new data may be exploited for propagandistic purposes.
Tsipras described tax havens as an inhuman mechanism of capitalism that reproduces and constantly increases global inequalities.
The prime minister underlined that one of the fundamental causes of the Greek economic crisis was “the non-transparent activity of a spoiled economic elite, its entanglement with the political system, and its steadfast resistance to shouldering their share of the burden.
Aris Ravanos
