ATHENS – “The rise in prices is an international phenomenon, which has been multiplied in [Greece] due to the government’s inability to understand the extent of the phenomenon, [and because] it followed a policy that weakened state intervention,” main opposition SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance leader Alexis Tsipras underlined in an interview with SKAI TV on Monday.

“We would not have gone ahead with the Public Power Corporation (PPC) privatisation in the midst of the largest energy crisis,” Tsipras said, adding that Greece has one of the three most expensive electricity rates in Europe.

If SYRIZA wins the elections and there is a progressive government then the PPC will regain the public nature of its operation, regardless of what happens with the capital share increases there will be an order to freeze energy rates, while the Regulatory Authority for Energy and the Competition Committee will be activated.

Tsipras said that at this point there was no alternative to strong support through subsidies, adding that “we could have avoided this development if other policies had been chosen”.