Can the leader of a party that suffered a great defeat of -30% at the May 6th elections form a coalition government? Socialist PASOK-leader Evangelos Venizelos believes he can. While two days ago, he implied he wouldn’t accept the mandate to lead exploratory talks, after failed negotiationswith Alexis Tsipras from left-wing SYRIZA on Wednesday, he said Yes, we can!
Alexis Tsipras returned the baton of the mandate in the relay race called ‘forming a Greek government’ at 1 am on Thursday, Evangelos Venizelos will take it at 2 pm.
Until yesterday Venizelostargeted a national unity government with the participation of as many as possible parties. Today things look different, and the efforts go rather to a 3-party government.
Right away we have to say that INDEPENDENT GREEKS rejected a Venizelos invitation.
SYRIZA made his position very clear on Wednesday.
Communist KKE rejects government cooperation. General secretary Aleka Papariga said Thursday noon that KKE want fresh elections.
Venizelos Government Options
With the mandate in Venizelos’ hands the efforts of the leaders of the three parties that top the elections outcome to form a coalition government concludes.
Theoretically Venizelos has good chances to reach government agreement with conservative Nea Dimocratia, as they both agree on implementation of the fiscal adjustment or better say second bailout.
But as together they have only 149 seats at the parliament and need two more to achieve the absolute majority, they need to persuade a third party.
Here comes Democratic Left (19 seats) on the field. However Fotis Kouvelis had rejected the possibility to be the ‘left alibi’ in a pro-bailout government.
Ideologically on the “right” side of SYRIZA and ‘left” from PASOK, Democratic Left split from SYRIZA a couple of years ago, and absorbed some PASOK MPs when they were expelled by George Papandreou after they refused to vote the loan agreement.
Greek media report, that Kouvelis is under immense pressure by PASOK to join a ND-PASOK-DEMLEFT government but also under pressure from his own former PASOK members not to join. Further, should Kouvelis join a pro-bailout government he is in risk to suffer a sharp decline in next elections and push his voters towards SYRIZA.
The scenario that circulates in the media is that Venizelos plans to offer Kouvelisthe prime minister post and the possibility to form his own cabinet with maximum 15 ministers and that PASOK and ND will be committed to vote for Kouvelis’ legislation.
It has not been known if this offer finds the consent of ND.
Here is to stress that on Wendsday Kouvelis rejected optins that he would accept to be Prime Minister. And a last minute report (13:45/ Thursday) claims also that Kouvelis does not accept to be PM.
Kouvelis has repeated said after the elections, that he favors a “gradual disengagement” from Memorandum of Understanding.
Venizelos will meet Kouvelis at 6 pm on Thursday and Samaras at 10 am on Friday.
What’s next?
Should Venizelos fail to form a government, he will return the mandate to the president.
According to Greek Constitution, President Karolos Papoulias will call the political leaders council and try to reach agreement on a cabinet that will enjoy the confidence of the Parliament
“The President summons all party leaders, and if the impossibility to form a Cabinet enjoying the confidence of the Parliament is confirmed, he shall attempt to form a Cabinet composed of all parties in Parliament for the purpose of holding parliamentary elections.
If this fails, he shall entrust the President of the Supreme Administrative Court or of the Supreme Civil and Criminal Court or of the Court of Auditors to form a Cabinet as widely accepted as possible to carry out elections and dissolves the Parliament.”
Papoulias may have face-to-face talks with each leader before the council or meet them all together at once.
The political leaders council if expected to take place over the week end.
