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At a government meeting, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has unveiled the first bills that the government will submit next week. Because of commitments under the agreement with the Eurogroup, these measures won’t lead to new expenses.

According to Tsipras, the first draft is designed to deal with the humanitarian crisis. "We have a battle and a really big challenge on our hands: to put a ravaged country and a people subjected to genocide back on their feet," said the PM, and rolled out his measures aimed at alleviating the plight of the people.

Free electricity and housing subsidies

The bill includes:

• provision of free electricity and food to 300,000 households;
• a housing programme for 30,000 beneficiaries including the provision of grants per person;
• curtailing the now widespread evictions;
• granting immediate aid to 3.7 million individuals, micro, small and medium-sized companies.

Protection of homes

Next week, in an attempt to live up to its commitments, the government will table a draft designed to protect primary residences from foreclosures. It will apply to housing of real value below € 300,000.

Arrears

Tsipras said he would propose a law for the settlement of unpaid bills to the state, which will contain rules on:

• liabilities to insurance funds;
• abolishing the arrest and imprisonment of people owing up to 50,000 euros;
• restoration of the regime prior to 31.12.2013 whereby the investigative reports of the economic police were not merely informative.

Tsipras said that for the first time all materials piled up after years of investigation (relating to the Lagarde, Liechtenstein and other money laundering lists) have been put together and cross-referenced electronically.

National broadcaster ERT

On 5 March, the government will submit a bill, which will:

• Restore the national broadcaster ERT on a democratic basis, and upgrade its information, cultural and entertainment programming.
• The scheme will not encumber the budget, and therefore is not subject to the agreement with the partners.
• The bill will seek to settle employment issues and pending litigation; it will pay respect to the several-month struggle of laid-off employees without seeking revenge on those who are now working legally for the channel.
• Within an annual restructuring framework, the draft will tackle some financial, management and technical issues. Its overall objective is to warrant the transition towards a truly independent and pluralistic institution, which will not condone anyone's attempts to use it as an instrument for political pressure.

Electronic cards for citizens

• Next week will see the start of preparations for the creation of electronic service centres, which will operate the citizens’ electronic cards.
• This will create a situation where no government agency needs to demand data that are already in possession of another public office.

An investigative commission over the memorandum

In line with SYRIZA’s election commitment, next week parliament will be served with a proposal for an investigating committee digging around the memorandum. Tsipras has maintained that this initiative will reveal the political responsibility of all those who have played a role in the collapse of the country and its overload of debt. This is not an act of revenge, said the prime minister, as Greeks are entitled to know the truth, and the government is morally and politically bound to mete out justice.