"Closed" professions, "open" wounds

A second round of friction over the taxi issue has commenced between the Minister of Administrative Reform, Mr. Dimitris Reppas, and the Minister of Transport, Mr. John Ragousis.

After the disclosure of the decision made by the Plenum of the State Council, which holds anything other than the deregulation of "closed" professions to be unconstitutional, Mr. Reppas sent out a press release declaring all he did in the ministry, but especially pointing out those deficiencies which he identified in Mr. Ragousis’ moves.

Mr. Reppas reportedly seems to be very annoyed at protothema.gr’s publications over the “deregulation of professions”.
This is why shortly before the September 5th deadline set by taxi drivers, the two ministers are once more crossing swords.

Specifically, Mr. Reppas states: “Never was the Presidential Decree on the deregulation of professions, which bore my signature and was sent to the State Council, declared unconstitutional”. Speaking about truckers and movers, he explained that their profession was deregulated by the laws decided upon by the State Council.

As to the taxi issue, he brings our attention to the fact that that the Presidential Decree “was never sent to the State Council”, and he thus launches an attack against Mr. Ragousis:

If the P.D. had been sent to the State Council in time, then two things could have happened:

1. If the State Council ratified the P.D., the country would never have suffered strikes and commotion during a high season for tourism.
2. If The State Council did not ratify the P.D., the professionals would have had no reason to turn against the government

The way things stand, as stated by Mr. Reppas, there is no issue of constitutionality.

Mr. Ragousis seems to have reportedly insisted on his decision to deregulate his profession and it is certain that the proposals will be in the spirit of the SC decision.