Outgoing PM Samaras left the keys under the doormat for successor Tsipras

Sensational! Outgoing Prime Minister Antonis Samaras closed the door behind him at Maximos Mansion and left the keys under the doormat for his successor, new Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. And not only that. Nobody from Samaras’ team was there to welcome the new Prime Minister. And as if this was not enough, Samaras did not even bother to go visit President Karolos Papoulias, pay his respect and exchange protocol-conform niceness with the head of the state of Greece. He reportedly did not even answer the phone cal by the Presidential Office on whether he would pay the traditional Good-Bye visit.

The unprecedented decision of the Ex to terminate his Prime Ministerial career with deafening silence was negatively commented by the Greek analysts and anchormen, websites and blogs. The majority of the critics speaks of “huge shortage on political culture.”

On Twitter “even conservatives, expressed their discontent about Samaras‘ attitude to avoid meeting Tsipras to deliver premiership.”

With one of them being Evangelos Antonaros, government spokesman under the government of Kostas Karamanlis.

Προβληματική συμπεριφορά που εκθέτει μια ολόκληρη παράταξη. Η μεγαλοσύνη στην ήττα ειναι η σπουδαία διαφορά πού κάνει κάποιον μεγάλο ηγέτη.

— Evangelos Antonaros (@EvangAntonaros) January 26, 2015

“Problematic behavior that exposes an entire political party. The greatness in defeat is the great difference that makes someone a great leader.”

Στη Νεα Δημοκρατία έχουμε μάθει ν σεβόμαστε τις αρχές του πολιτικου πολιτισμου. Δεν θα επιτρέψουμε σε κανένα να μας γυρίσει πίσω.

— Evangelos Antonaros (@EvangAntonaros) January 26, 2015

“In Nea Dimokratia we have learned to respect the principles of the political culture. We will not allow anyone to set us back.”

According to sources from Samaras’ team, there was constitutional provision for the outgoing prime minister to welcome his successor at the entrance of the Maximos Mansion. Moreover,  when a close associate of Samaras was asked “why there was no formal ceremony of delivering-receiving the premiership”, he replied: “so are customs and traditions, to be broken.” (newsit.gr)

SYRIZA told media that Antonis Samaras does not respect the institutions.

Anchorman Nikos Chatzinikolaou, a ND-affiliated journalist said during the Prime Time News of Star TV:

“The lack of political culture does not scare me. What scares me is the kind of opposition Mr Samaras will follow. It means an opposition of a wild style while the society wants exactly the opposite.”

After the outcry, Nea Dimokratia tried to put the blame on SYRIZA -usual tacticts during the elections campaign period, claimed a vague “the two office directors made the arrangements” and criticized… Tsipras :

“If we want to speak about who demonstratively broke century-long traditions,we remind that Mr Tsipras is the only Greek Prime Minister who took a non-religious oath and thus in the absence of Archbishop of Athens,” said Maria Spyraki, Member of the European Parliament, who had served as ND spokeswoman in the holy three weeks of elections campaign.

PS I reckon how shocked was the whole “Sex and the City” community when Lover NoX broke up his relation with Carrie with a Post-it… Greece’s reality is above any Hollywood fantasy!