New Europe
It has been called “the largest illegal structure in Europe”. The 100.000 square meter shopping Mall “ The Mall Athens” has been declared an illegal structure by the Council of State, the Greek administrative High Court.
But this is Greece and “The Mall” happens to belong to one of Greece's biggest bankers, the Latsis Group, so legality doesn't have much to do with it. Accordingly, in total character with the standard clientelist government practices that brought Greece to its current state, the Greek government decided, not only not to uphold the law but to also extend further support.
A committee of ministers decided yesterday, 2 June, that the”Mall”, on top of not having to pay any fines, can now benefit from being included in the “fast track” procedure for new investment and the creation of new jobs. A programme created under the Troika and Task Force instructions. Implemented this time in order to turn the “largest illegal structure in Europe” to the “largest rousfeti in Europe”, a Greek word with Turkish origin describing rampant favouritism in a clientelist environment.
