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Last Chance for Survival: Greek Gov’t to seek vote of confidence

In an unexpected move, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and deputy PM Evangelos Venizelos announced on Wednesday evening, that they will seek a vote of confidence at the Greek Parliament.The government decision splashes in the middle of a political atmosphere full of tension with main opposition party left-wing SYRIZA, a constant decline of Samaras’ Nea Dimocratia in public opinion polls, speculations of imminent early elections and government ministers and lawmakers psychologically and practically to prepare their pre-election campaigns.

SamarasVenizelos

Some media report that it was Deputy PM and PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos who proposed to PM Samaras the Vote of Confidence. Venizelo’s announcement on Wednesday evening:

“We decided two institutional movements of political stability and national strategic orientation. The forces of irresponsibility, demagogy and misery will not paralyze the country. The country will move forward because there is a plan to take it out of the crisis and to the next day.”

Furthermore the decision comes amid negotiations with the country’s lenders and the not so promising messages from the side of the Troika on Samara’s plans for tax relief and public debt, while the Finance Ministry is preparing the budget plan for 215.

Target of the vote of confidence is to coil lawmakers of both Nea Dimokratia and PASOK and gain also some of the 24 independent MPs in order to succeed the voting for the President of the Republic that will take place in upcoming February. The term of Karolos Papoulias ends in March 2015.

PM Antonis Samaras is expected to officially seek the vote of confidence on Monday, October 6th 2014,  the day the Parliament Plenary restarts after the summer break. A 3-day debate will follow and the voting will take place most likely on the following weekend.

According to Greek media, the coalition government is expected to win the vote of confidence as it currently holds 154 seats (ND 126, PASOK 28) in the Parliament of 300.

Left-wing SYRIZA described the vote of confidence as “a panic move” and “a final effort for survival” before the collapse.

At the same time, some of the usual “mean Greeks” reckon that also PM George Papadreou won a self-initiated vote of confidence in November 2011 only to be replaced by Lucas Papadimos a couple of days later.

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