OPINION

A hopeful sign

The ratification by Parliament of a bill for the privatization of the former airport plot at Elliniko, on the southern coast of Athens, is a very positive development, and particularly so as it was backed by a significant majority of MPs.

The good thing is that the vote shows that pragmatism is finally dawning for many of our politicians and is putting an end to the taboos of the past. The bad thing is that a lot of time has been wasted on the privatizations front as a whole, costing many jobs and a lot of potential foreign capital.

If this project had started, as it should have, right after the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, the capital and the country as a whole would have reaped significant benefits. But even at this late date, the fact that such an important project has been released from the quagmire of inertia and populism brings hope.

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