Speculation over a looming reshuffle at the energy minister intensified this week after the relevant minister said possible revenue from the sale of the state’s stake in several energy-related utilities was “peanuts”.
Energy and Environment Minister Panos Skourletis made the statement in an address at a conference in Athens, where he referred directly to the prospect of a sale of the state’s share in the Public Power Corp. (17 percent), the Hellenic Petroleum refinery group (35 percent) and the natural gas provider (65 percent) in order to funnel the money towards debt servicing.
“We’re a European-wide first, as we’ll be the only country without the slightest control over the energy sector by the state,” he said.
Skourletis’ comment is the latest in a recent series of statements expressing his opposition to privatizations in the sector, with his name now figuring prominently in media speculation as one of the first ministers set for replacement by PM Alexis Tsipras.
Skourletis, among the most ardent ideological leftists remaining on Tsipras’ Cabinet, repeated that his ministry has drafted a strategic plan to maximize benefits for the state’s coffers without losing a majority control of Greece’s state-run energy companies.
He pointed to tender for the partial privatization of the electricity transmission grid operator (ADMIE), which he said benefits the market, generates revenue but with a majority stake still held by the state.
