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Victoria Mindova

Influenza and stress brought overburdening to Finance Minister Yiannis Stournaras. "The Minister's doctor recommended that he stayed home for a few days until he recovered," sources from Stournaras's office told GRReporter. "If he had a different job, he would probably observe the recommendation," joked people close to the minister, but in this crisis situation that is impossible.

On Wednesday evening Stournaras met representatives and the leader of the Democratic Left, Fotis Kouvelis, who participate in the governing coalition, in order to explain to them the importance of all the measures related to the fiscal consolidation. On Thursday morning, he met Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and together they decided that the whole programme for spending cuts will be voted in a single text. The aim is for undecided lawmakers not to have the opportunity to vote selectively in favour of certain measures, while voting "against" others.

Regarding the possibility of the Democratic Left refusing to support the changes in the country's legal labour relations, Stournaras said: "This will not be good, because we are talking about a triple coalition here. It would not make a good impression if one of the parties involved in this coalition does not support the agreement with the creditors."

At 6.30 p.m. Yiannis Stournaras will in addition meet parliamentary group representatives of PASOK, who are also resentful. Socialists gave a cry after Fotis Kouvelis openly stated that he will not vote for the cuts in benefits of dismissal and civil servants salaries. Regarding his meeting with the members of PASOK, Stournaras said that there is no particular platform or specific measures to be put into question. "We will talk about everything. And besides, they are old friends." Yiannis Stournaras is a follower of the Green Party, and during the administration of Costas Simitis, he was a close collaborator of the government and a financial advisor to the Prime Minister.