French President Francois Hollande met PASOK-leader Evangelos Venizelos in Paris. From man to man. From Socialist to Socialist. The meeting was kept secret in order to avoid diplomatic turbulence as Monsieur Le President can meet only with his counterparts, according to the protocol. The appointment was fixed Monday night and was kept under seven seals. According to Greek media, Venizelos hushed out of the country this morning and took an early plane to Paris.
There was no statement from the French President’s office about the meeting. But from the Greek side, as Venizelos could not hide his content for being able to talk face to face to the new powerful European leader.
“It was a private meeting” said Venizelos stressing that he didn’t go to Paris as a party leader, but as representative of the Greek people. Venizelos said further that he briefed Hollande about his positions for the revision of the Memorandum of Understanding. “Hollande plays a big role in the whole process”, Venizelos said.
The French President has reportedly told his Greek socialist counterpart ” We can help you in the context of the EU.”
French daily Les Echos reports that the meeting was anything but a private one, as the French President accompanied Venizelos to the exit.
Venizelos? Hollande? Meeting?
These key words were enough to stir up left-wing SYRIZA, as one day earlier the French President had refused to meet party leader Alexis Tsipras who was in Paris.
“If he [Hollande] does not keep his promises for Greece, he will become a Hollandreou” had Tsipras said while in Paris with reference of the word-game of Hollande and Papandreou, a description used by Sarkozy during the presidential elections campaign.
Tsipras left Paris for Germany, where he met leaders of the Left and Social-Democrats.
Today, all of his political opponents have been lashing out at him, accusing Tsipras for not showing enough respect to the French President.
Was the French President just piqued by Tsipras’ statement or he simply supports Venizelos who received 13. 18 percent of the votes at the May-6 elections?
Well, at least we know where Mr. Hollande stands. And he just showed his hand to be dirty, very dirty indeed. Just wonder why Venizelos is considered a representative of the Greek people with 13.8% of the vote, while Tsipras with nearly twice that isn’t? Or are some representatives more represtative than other? Sarkozy the second has arrived, watch your back Greece!
I don’t want to be mean but with such a weight he sure has more representative pushing wave than a pensioner voter of syriza.
Tsipras should rather focus on his own promises, which seem impossible enough to fulfill. His grandstanding may be attractive for voters who long for Greece to show the other European governments the finger, but it puts him into an extremist corner from which it will be even more difficult to negotiate about additional support for his country. What is he trying to accomplish by ridiculing the most important potential ally in the EU now, really? There’s probably more hurt feelings (for not having been invited to meet Hollande) than long term strategical planning behind his statements. That’s a luxury a real head of state can’t afford.
Tsipras wants to catch 2 rabbits together, which is impossible, but somehow he made people believe it. What he talks is absolutely stupidity!!! He isn’t realist, he is dreamer and leading country to the hell…. Greek people shouldn’t try to avoid responsibility what they did, but try correct heir mistakes and made good plans for recover economy, pay debt and pay themselves for their people.we have such a fantastic country, why we need to borrow money from other country? To make strong economy we can earn money we need. We are stupids so we have to pay for our mistakes, not EU.