The confidence to Greek government did not last long. Twelve hours after Samaras’ coalition government won the confidence vote at the parliament, one of its ministers put down his pen and resigned. Nikos Nikolopoulos, deputy Minister for Labour, Social Security & Welfare submitted his resignation to prime minister Antonis Samaras. The deputy Minister wanted labour reforms to be re-negotiated with the Troika.
In a statement, Nikolopoulos justified his decision saying that he disagrees with the government policy and that labour, pension, isnurance and social benefits issues should have been on the re-negotiations table between Athens and the Troika right from the beginning.
“The sole reason of my resignation is my personal conviction that the issue of renegotiating with the troika, as well as the correction of significant distortions in labour, pension, social security and welfare issues, should have been emphatically put on the table from the start.”
In his statement Nikolopoulos said further that he submitted his resignation right after the confidence vote.
Nikos Nikolopoulos from Achaia Prefecture, Peloponnese, was responsible for Labour issues in conservative Nea Dimocratia of Antonis Samaras, before he assumed the ministerial post after June 17 elections.
Nikos Panagiotopoulos, ND MP from Kavala, is being appointed as the new deputy Labour Minister.
PS Many Greeks believed that the coalition government consisting of ND-PASOK-DEMLEFT wouldn’t survive next November. However it looks as if the decay comes much earlier. Re-negotiating the Memorandum of Understanding? Announcing the government programme? Making elections promises that you can’t keep? Hm….
What the hell is wrong with these officials? Nikolopoulos seriously wants to pretend that the governments stance on labor came as a total surprise to him, and that he only got informed after the confidence vote? Who’s gonna believe that?
probably Nikolopoulos fell into the same trap as the ND voters: renegotiation of MoU (hehe)