Süddeutsche Zeitung on TV licenses: One of the most ambitious projects for Tsipras turns into disaster

The newspaper believes that television licenses became a boomerang for the Prime Minister, on the occasion of the departure of Yannis Kalogritsas from the acquisition of a television license.

"Indeed one of the most ambitious projects in the fight against corruption and nepotism was turned by the Greek Prime Minister to destruction," writes Süddeutsche Zeitung.

As it notes, "just recently his government tried to auction TV licenses for the first time for private television operation in order to regulate television rights. Now one of the winners - a contractor, who is close to the Tsipras government - lost his license. The tax authorities put under the microscope his business empire and found that the bank gave him doubtful loans."

According to the publication "in Greece the phrase interwoven interests is circulating ... and Tsipras promised when he took office to put an end to this structure. The most important of the projects, beyond the negotiations on the third package for the indebted country, was, since the fall of 2015, the new order for private television. The scandal with the successful tenderer now raises the question whether in Athens this time things are different than they used to be."

And Süddeutsche Zeitung concludes: "The problem is faced by Tsipras at an inopportune time. The second evaluation of reforms by European lenders has not been completed. Athens awaits a new installment of EUR 2.8 billion. The television licenses are not subject to review. But the conflict will leave a bad impression in Brussels."