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Direct attack against former Economy Minister George Alogoskoufis inflicted New Democracy spokesman Yiannis Mihelakis in his comment regarding the statements of the former strong man of the Greek economy in the Sunday edition of To Vima newspaper and especially regarding the phrase of the Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis “leave the reforms for later on”. 

According to the article in today's edition of the newspaper Yannis Mihelakis practically aligned the recent statements by Theodoros Pangalos in Istanbul with the held by George Alogoskoufis budget revision in 2004, which he defined to be just as "catastrophic" for the country. 

"As criminal is the bad publicity abroad for the country which Pangalos, Papandreou and Papaconstantinou are making, so catastrophic was also Alogoskoufis’ budget revision" said Yiannis Mihelakis in a radio interview. However, the party's spokesman defended the policy of the governments of Costas Karamanlis, but admitted that he and today’s President of New Democracy Antonis Samaras have made many mistakes and omissions. 

The reaction of the former government apparatus was as quick as the speed of light. Associates of George Alogoskoufis said that the budget revision was election promise of New Democracy. Former Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis was informed of a case of former Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos, who called the Yannis Mihelakis. 

Following the clarification of the party spokesman, associates of the former Prime Minister said that there was no problem and tried to not to create excessive buzz. But many parliament members who are united around the figure of Costas Karamanlis predicted that this issue will start an unnecessary and hopeless discussion. 

To the subsequent response of the former Prime Minister, party "circles" responded by arguing: "it has been proven that the budget revision was a historic mistake." 

Meanwhile, after talks between Costas Karamanlis and Antonis Samaras, which took place few days ago, the leadership of the largest opposition party wants by all means to avoid the expression of introversion and strengthening the suspicions of distance between the supporters of the former Prime Minister and the leader of the party today. 

According to To Vima newspaper this is the reason for the attacks of Yannis Mihelakis against the former economy minister. To a large extent those attacks satisfied also the "wing" of Karamanlis, which was seriously hit by the claims of George Alogoskoufis, for whom parliament members believe that bears a share of responsibility for the bad course of the economy. 

New Democracy thought, it is urgent to reject the statements of the former "king” of the Greek economy because, according to senior party functionaries the government uses them as “weapon" in his criticism against the party. 

Meanwhile, the “blues ones” have internal financial difficulties. When he took over leadership of the party in 2009, Antonis Samaras make a check-up and the results caught him by surprise. In the Party safe he found only eight thousand Euros, while liabilities to banks exceeded the sum of 127 million Euros. 

According to To Vima newspaper most of the obligations are a legacy of the 12-year presidency of Costas Karamanlis. Antonis Samaras found also another outstanding debt from the time when the head of the party was Constantinos Mitsotakis. 

New Democracy was almost going to find itself in the middle of a law suit, when few days ago it managed to pay off its debt to one TV channel for a broadcast of a campaign video. A mini economic memorandum was applied in the party in order to limit the costs to a minimum. The failure during stress tests of Agricultural Bank, to which New Democracy owes 105 million Euros, forced bank to increase the interest rate to 8.5 per cent per month. After this change the party needs one million Euros per month to pay the interest rate, while funding is worth 17.2 million Euros. The loans of the “blue ones” are from previous grand election rallies, attended by supporters from the countryside. 

In order to fix the economic situation of the party, the leadership undertook a number of reforms. From August 2010 until now 60 people have been dismissed, overtime bonuses were cut, and rent amounts of buildings occupied by the party offices were reviewed and reduced. 

The party is trying to invite its supporters to help rescue its finances with small contribution, but the overall financial health of the Greek citizens, at least for now, does not allow them to help out the party funds.