Ruling SYRIZA party’s Parliamentary group on Tuesday quickly moved to remove a draft amendment, proposed by more than a dozen of its MPs last week, which would have prohibited mini markets in the country from selling cigarettes and tobacco products.
Had the amendment remained in draft legislation for a revised framework in distributing and selling tobacco products, street-side kiosks would have retained a monopoly on the sale of cigarettes in Greece.
Although not stated, reactions by small shop owners to such a prospect would have been furious, given that they already “compete” with gangs trafficking in bootleg tobacco products.
