Coalition partner and leader of PASOK, Evangelos Venizelos was angered over PM’s Samaras statement that the negotiation with the Troika has been completed, considering the negotiation has to continue until short before the Eurogroup meeting. With PASOK’s reaction and Democratic Left insisting in not voting for the labour rights ‘reforms’, the Greek coalition government seems to desperately seeking …its balance.
According to website in.gr, Venizelos said that Samaras’ statement is “undermining and indecent.”
In a harsh statement issued by PASOK short after Samaras’ statement, Venizelos said:
“A statement of the kind that ‘the government did what it could and, whoever wants keep the pace’ while the parliamentary group of PASOK is holding a meeting is at least unlucky.”
Accusing Samaras of “inexperience” in issues of “national responsibility and crisis management,” PASOK said that Samaras’ apparently meant the conclusion of negotiations with the Troika, while there is still space for negotiations until a) the voting of the package and the budget in the Greek parliament and b) the Eurogroup meeting on November 12/2012 as the issues of “debt sustainability, bailout extension, social and development measures are still open.”
“The crucial political part of the negotiation is not only over but it is full developing. We call on the government to do its best to exploit all national forces , to target the best possible result until the end of the crucial eurogroup meeting.”
PASOK believes that negotiation has to continue on political level with the country’s institutional partners (EU/EZ member-states, European Commission, IMF and ECB).
During PASOK parliamentary group meeting 2-3 MPs have apparently declared that they will not vote for the austerity package. PASOK has 33 seats in the parliament, Samaras Nea Dimocratia 127, and the bills need 151 votes.
Meanwhile, also junio coalition partner Democratic Left issued a statement saying it does not agree with cocnlusion of negotiations:
“Greece’s junior coalition partner Democratic Left on Tuesday issued a statement saying that it is «not in agreement» with the conclusion of negotiations between the New Democracy-led government and the Troika.
«Democratic Left has fought for labor relations with specific arguments in order to protect already weakened labor rights,» the statement said. «We are not in agreement with the conclusion of the negotiations.» (ekathimerini)
PS what kind of coalition government is this, when the Prime Minister makes an announcement without previously brief his partners? One of the Greek kind…
This is the kind of coalition born out of political self-preservation rather than serving the needs of the country. When it gets a bit tricky, the individual members of the coalition start jockeying and posturing for best postion after Armagheddon, rather than joining forces to avoid Armagheddon.
Although, in this particular case, I would think the Armagheddon as painted by Samaras is by far the best choice for Greece.
Ephilant, I would have to disagree with your assessment of sticking with Samaras. Wouldn’t it be nice to roll back the clocks a few years, as we say hind sight is twenty-twenty. Greece should of did the “right or wrong thing then””matter of perspective”, they should of defaulted and most of this mess would of been a thing of the past. Yes, the wrong side of that coin would have been losing face with other Eurozone members and other creditors, however take a look at Iceland, they have really turned around “and they actual put bad banksters and politicians behind bars”.
Greece needs to clean the slate monetarily, and make new tax reforms. With the price of labor coming down, they will be more competitive, also tourism will pick up as well “after people feel safer to travel there”.
Not to sure if you think I’m advocating sticking with the current crew (which I am most definitely not!), or whether you are advocating sticking with the current crew.
Let’s call a spade a spade. A society will always be judged on how it looks after its most vulnerable. Over the last couple of days we have seen and received undeniable proof of who is being looked after in Greek society. How long have politicians sat on the Lagarde list without doing anything? And then suddenly all hell breaks lose when the names of the elite (without any accusations being made!) are published. Authority is falling over itself to shut the press up. Was there ever a faster court case in Greek history? In fact, there was. An impoverished mother of a small child who “stole” milk from a supermarket in Iraklio to feed her child…
It is very clear where loyalties of government lie, and those loyalties are blatantly obvious not with the people of this country. Labour costs are coming down because people are deliberately left without an income by this bunch. Labour laws are being eroded into obliviance.
Hind sight is of no use here what so ever. This is uncharted territory, a sovereign government knowingly and willfully impoverishing its people and killing its own economy, on the orders of a third party, or parties to be more specific. No point in looking back in any case. This most definitely needs forward thinking and looking ahead. And none of the current government leaders or ministers show even the slightest capacity of being able to do so.
In fact, those who dare critisize them are removed from their jobs and hauled in front of a judge because they do indeed expose this inability of politicians to do what they are supposed to do. If this government has shown the people of Greece anything, it is that they are most definitely not the ticket forward.
What Greece, and Europe needs first and foremost is to wipe the slate clean in terms of distribution of power and wealth. Fiscal reform MUST go hand in hand with political reform, otherwise it is simply more of the same. Those with the interest serving the interest by writing the laws to “regulate” the interest. It’s like putting a fox into a hen-house, asking him to defend the hens against the other fox. In order to bring about this very needed change, Greece and Europe need people who can think outside the box, and who have the guts to say “Oxi” in the interest of their people instead of pandering to the interests of those who have no interest in their people.
Ephilant, okay, I am with you on most of your latest reply. Like here in the “States” we have our own problems to contend with. Also like most places in the West, we all like to point fingers. Is it the Government? Is it the Banks? Is it the Peasants? It is all to a certain degree. Democracies are breaking down, the people have lost their power to control crooked Officials and their crony Banker friends.
There will be reform! However it will take the people of Greece to rise up to get it, or they will just succumb to what I feel is a fascist Government. Carry on my Good Man
I have a horrible feeling that with
you seem to mean riots, pyrotechnics and destruction, always followed with mindless revenge, usually executed on the wrong people.
That is most definitely not what is needed. Simply look at EVERY single violent revolution ever in history. What happens? Those that are being rebelled against take a step or two back, a few figure heads are offered as a prize to the rebels, and a few years later, the boys are back. New strategy, new methods, same objectives. Case in point: Argentina just had its credit rating downgraded for failure to repay debt owed after its economic crash in 2001. Wasn’t that the whole idea of defaulting? Not paying the Odious debt? And who is behind this “set back”? The same people who pushed the country into the abyss in 2001…
Greece and Europe do indeed need a revolution, but one of a different kind. What is needed is a revolution of perception, and revolution of the philosphy driving society. That will automeatically produce the fiscal and political reform needed to implement the practical changes that are indeed very much, and urgently needed.