Gov't officials preparing more handouts, worrying Tsakalotos

The government is considering popular measures such as extending the protection of main residences to all, a new 120-tranche debt payment scheme, increasing the amount of farmers' protected bank deposits to 10,000 euros, and early heating oil subsidy payments in order to change the political agenda and put a stop to the rise in New Democracy's popularity.

SYRIZA ministers and deputies are proposing additional handouts for households on top of those included in Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras's announcement last month at the Thessaloniki International Fair. In doing so, the ruling party is utilizing precisely the kind of political practices that led Greece into the bailout mechanisms to start with.

This talk of handouts is particularly disconcerting for the Finance Ministry, which is trying to resolve the most important issue for the government, that of the planned pension...