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Anastasia Balezdrova 

Greece is to wake up to the old government again. Although he has actually declared it, George Papandreou failed to resign before the Greek President Carlos Papoulias. Nor has a new Prime Minister been selected. After the events that took place in the presidency, which many commentators have described as tragicomedy, President Papoulias has convened a meeting of the political parties' leaders for Thursday at 10 a.m.

Today's meeting did not start as scheduled. Five minutes after 5 p.m., while the cameras of dozens of Greek and foreign TVs were focussed on the Council of Ministers entrance, it was announced that the meeting would be postponed to 6 p.m. Then, rumours and comments raged that this delay might be due to a change in the choice of new Prime Minister, and with them, the hope that Filippos Petsalnikos might not be the one. Meanwhile, the presidency announced that Carlos Papoulias would convene a meeting of state leaders at 7 p.m. The leaders of the two leftist parties - the Communist party and the left coalition SYRIZA – stated that their leaders would not attend and media representatives grew quiet in anticipation of the leaders of PASOK, New Democracy and LAOS.

George Papandreou crossed the threshold of the presidency minutes after his emotional address to the Greek people. A little later, Antonis Samaras arrived, coming into the courtyard in his car. The leader of LAOS George Karatzaferis arrived last. Just five minutes later, he came out and stood furious before the television cameras. "I am truly sorry that New Democracy and PASOK tactical games continue to be played before the President of the Republic," he said and left for his car. The reporters who followed him were able to hear him say, "apparently, they had begun to sit before I arrived as earlier I had been negative about the candidacy of Filippos Petsalnikos and they just wanted to announce to me that he would be the next Prime Minister. Under these circumstances, I will not support this government. For me, the only option is Lucas Papademos," said George Karatzaferis and left.

Meanwhile, the meeting in the presidency was ongoing. At one point, a reporter from the Greek national television began expounding on what was happening in the presidency, citing government sources. According to the information, George Papandreou had suggested that Lucas Papademos should be the new Prime Minister but Antonis Samaras refused under the pretext that he was a banker. The Prime Minister’s next suggestion was the current Minister of Finance Evangelos Venizelos, but the leader of New Democracy refused again. At the same time, sources from the main opposition party claimed that Antonis Samaras would accept any suggestion by George Papandreou. When the national television stated the names of politicians from New Democracy, who would have been asked to participate in the coalition government, the party issued an angry message that "the government has turned the state television into a propaganda tool."

A little later, the meeting was interrupted and Carlos Papoulias announced another meeting tomorrow. George Karatzaferis confirmed minutes ago that he would attend despite his angry reaction today.

Shortly after his return to the party headquarters, Antonis Samaras said before television cameras that his problem was not those who would participate in the new cabinet, but the release of the sixth tranche of the bailout to Greece. "To unblock the loan agreement, to have the government attain what is wished for the most  - the elections, when only those who have the right to decide will do it - the Greek people."

For the fourth consecutive day, Greeks would pick the petals off a daisy wondering who will be the man to rule the country in the coming months. Currently, all options are considered open, especially after the acute response by PASOK members to the nomination of Filippos Petsalnikos. According to some sources, dozens of angry calls were received in the office of Prime Minister George Papandreou. In them, the deputies expressed their resentment and wondered why the political crisis, ongoing for days, was necessary, just to make a completely useless transfer - keeping the power by a politician close to George Papandreou. Similar responses came from New Democracy deputies.  

Indicative of the situation was the comment of the famous journalist from Kathimerini newspaper, Alexis Papahelas. "Tonight, the dying political system tried to commit suicide. It failed because the public reaction expressed by a group of conscientious deputies and, somewhat, by George Karatzaferis, has not let it," he said.