(translation of a Greek press release)

Athens, 22 June 2007. Over one year after the signing of the agreement between the Greek government and Microsoft, the government has failed to reply to at least six questions that have been submitted by MPs, whereas sources mention that a central point in the agreement is the purchase of 70 thousand new computers with Microsoft software, in prices that will be agreed later.

After the agreement was signed in 1 February 2006, the FFII and several MPs expressed concerns and asked to see the full text of the agreement. Until today, the government has ignored these requests and the text remains secret. Meanwhile, a text that appears to be part of the agreement has leaked, and this draws a colonial picture, very different from the one implied by Microsoft's and the government's press releases.

Comments

Antonis Christofides, vice president of FFII, comments: "When the government signs an agreement with a given supplier without making a public tender, this already causes suspicion. When this supplier continuously uses unfair monopoly tactics, as can be seen with the permanent clash with the Commission, then the issue is no longer in the narrow frame of a possible economic scandal, but instead it can become a serious obstacle to the development of a free competitive economy."

Richard Kweskin, president of HELLUG, adds: "The press releases of Microsoft and the government talk about beneficial terms in the supply of software, and about the right to obtain new versions for three years. On the other hand, I pledge, both personally and as a representative of HELLUG, to supply software licenses at a price of zero euros and zero cents, for unlimited use, in an unlimited number of computers, with unlimited upgrade rights and forever, without provisos and without footnotes. Microsoft's terms are beneficial when compared to what exactly?"

Demetris Tsingos, president of EPE, adds: "The software used in the public sector must be open so that its users, that is the public services and the citizens, can fully know and control it. There are reasons of national security and protection of public interest that impose the same in related private sectors, such as communications. Tying the country to the closed software model creates dangers that concern our national sovereignty and the protection of individual rights."

Pieter Hintjens, president of the FFII, concludes: "If a private company signs a secret agreement with a corrupt monopoly, then it betrays its customers, its shareholders, and its employees. But if a government does the same thing, then it betrays all its citizens. In a perfect world, voters would immediately throw them out. I wish I was Greek and had the vote."