Athens categorically rejected the German proposal to cede control over its budget to the European Union as a precognition for the second bailout, the rescue package for Greece. “We can never accept this. A similar proposal was made in the past by a Dutch minister. We do not even discuss about it” senior governmental sources told Athens News Agency (quoted via in.gr).
AFP quotes another (?) Greek government source, saying that “There is effectively a ‘non-paper’ that was presented to the Eurogroup,” said the source and stressed that “Greece will not discuss such a possibility. It is out of the question that we would accept it, these are matters of national sovereignty.” At the same time the source told AFP that such a move would “require a change in (EU) treaties.”
The proposal as published by newspaper Financial Times triggered strong reactions in Greece. Education Minister Anna Diamantopoulou (PASOK) described it as the product of a sick imagination. “Tt’s an issue of sick imagination, whoever thought it” Diamantopoulou told private Mega TV on Saturday morning.
So far there has been no reaction by the other two coalition government partners conservative Nea Dimokratia and far-right LAOS.
UPDATE: Meanwhile, prime minister Lucas Papademos and his three coalition government partners agreed on Sunday not to accept the ‘state commissioner’ issue. See Greece’ Red Lines.
Greek Communist Party (KKE) said “f the Commissioner be necessary for the plutocracy, it will accept him. But with or without a commissioner, crime against the people is predetermined by the co-ruling of the EU the ECB and the plutocracy in general. ”
Alexis Tsipras, chairman of left-wing SYRIZA asked the Greek government to resing immediately and general elections to be held in February. He describeed the transefer of budget control as “a plan beyond any reason. “It is a plan to loot the country and the transfer of its sovereignty to the Eruopean banks and the international usury” Tsipras said (via Proto Thema)
KKE and SYRIZA are the third and fourth strong parties respectively in the Greek parliament.
