The again timely question of what the current leftist-rightist coalition government in Greece considers as a "working class" primary residence received at least two answers this week, one by the alternate minister in charge of law enforcement and another by a ruling SYRIZA MP. In both cases, the answer is 300,000 euros in value, based on objective tax criteria.
"The decision taken by the political council is that the party (leftist ruling SYRIZA) and the government will not tolerate working class (primary) residences falling into the hands of bankers or (distress) funds," SYRIZA MP Sakis Papadopoulos told a radio audience on Friday morning. He put the threshold for a "working class" primary residence at under 300,000 euros, as estimated by the tax bureau for the purpose of imposing property taxes.
The issue of legal protection from foreclosure and a subsequent auctioning off of property for debts to banks and the state again emerged on the national limelight in Greece, as auctions resumed on Wednesday for pricey property seized after court-ordered foreclosures. Previously, protests and abstention by notaries prevented auctions in the still bailout-dependent country, even for millions of euros in arrears, including non-serviced mortgages linked to expensive commercial and residential real estate.
Echoing the MP's position, Alternate Citizens Protection Minister Nikos Toskas - who holds the law enforcement and security portfolio - told a state broadcaster on Thursday that the government "is committed to not allowing auctions of primary residences valued at under 300,000 euros ... the residences that were included in Wednesday's auctions were high value (properties)."
Toskas was referring to the resumption of auctions at local courts around the country on Wednesday, as well as particularly violent protests at the main court building in Athens. Toskas said police used tear gas after protesters first emptied fire extinguishers at them.
Various "collectives" of protesters, mostly far leftist and anti-establishment groups, have prevented auctions for the past few months, occupying court rooms and private notaries' offices.
