Just a few hours before the first round of Presidential voting, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras issued a statement urging MPs to vote in favor of Stavor Dimas tonight, “in order to avoid adventures for the European course of the country,” as he said it characteristically. At the same time, the Prime Minister tried to disconnect the voting for the President from a possible ‘voting in favor of the government.”
“The MPs’ affirmative vote [to Dimas] should not be understood as a vote in favor of the government, but as a decision in defense of the Constitution and in respect of the Presidency institution. As well as in avoiding a political adventure that could turn fatal for the European course of the country,” the statement said.
Nobody, not even the coalition government, expects that Stavros Dimas will collect 200 votes in the first round of the voting, tonight. However, the number of the votes in favor of Dimas will be indicative for the next two voting rounds scheduled for December 23rd and December 29th 2014, in need of 200 and 180 votes respectively.
