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PASOK deputies tried to sink the government

16 June 2011 / 22:06:08  GRReporter
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"We can not afford ourselves to leave the battle," said the Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou at the beginning of his speech before the PASOK parliamentary group. The extraordinary meeting  was held at the request of 30 deputies, who made a petition to the party authorities.

Several hours earlier, and in the shadow of the failed attempt of forming a government of national consensus yesterday, the members of the ruling party George Floridis and Ektoras Nasiokas submitted their resignations. They stated that this is the least they could do to "reverse the hopeless political situation." George Floridis harshly criticized the government's policy and pointed out: "instead of national mobilization the election of party pretense, pretexts, disguised accounts and narrow party pressure won.”

Avalanche events unfolded with such speed that many were quick to doubt that the government is ready to collapse. According to sources from parliament, at least a few lawmakers were willing to resign and one of them even read his resignation before the journalists there. However, the fact that George Papandreou agreed to hold an extraordinary meeting broke the series of resignations. Minutes later, the statement of the former member of several PASOK governments Vasso Papandreou that the meeting should discuss "all issues" caused the impression that the  lawmakers are ready to throw the Prime Minister George Papandreou out of the party leadership. Most of the MPs who had signed the paper with the request for a meeting of the parliamentary group immediately rushed to withdraw their consent, stressing that they have no intention to go against the party leader.

Around noon, the impression that there is a "leading mind" in the "attempt to destabilize the government and the country" has become a common belief. Some lawmakers even spoke of "apostasy, as in 1965" and that "when coincidences recur, they cease to be coincidences." Then, the statements by ministers in support of the Prime Minister began. There were statements like "the country has a government and a prime minister." George Papandreou met some of them as well as Evangelos Venizelos - his opponent on the internal party elections in 2007 and accused by many to be the organizer of the today's coup attempt against George Papandreou.

The meeting of the parliamentary group scheduled for 16:30 started half an hour later. In his speech, the Prime Minister and leader of PASOK tried and according to analysts managed to unite its members to a large extent, stressing that "everyone must assume their responsibility in these difficult times. "

The political thriller and its uncertain outcome naturally cut George Papandreou’s contacts with the persons who he intends to include in the new government. After his fire- extinguishing speech at the meeting of the PASOK parliamentary group scenarios about the names of future ministers began again. The new members of the government are not expected to be announced before midnight, after the meeting.

According to journalistic sources, the new cabinet will be much smaller than the present one. Mergers of departments and the elimination of almost all deputy ministers are believed to be its main features. It appears that the current "king" of the Greek economy George Papakonstantinou would leave the office on Syntagma Square and is likely to assume the foreign ministry or that of defense. The former vice president of the European Central Bank Lucas Papadimos is very likely to become the head of the ministry of finance. The present minister of culture and close associate of the Prime Minister, Pavlos Geroulanos is expected to take up the post of government spokesman. Andreas Loverdos will most likely remain in the ministry of health that will merge with the ministry of social security. The ministry of the interior will merge with others and will expand, and it is very likely to be taken over by the former minister Yiannis Ragousis and his colleague from the ministry of justice Harris Kastanidis. Known for his provocative speeches, which often incur the wrath of the citizens, the vice chairman of the cabinet Theodoros Pangalos is likely to leave office and the former defence minister Evangelos Venizelos to replace him. According to some sources, if Lucas Papadimos refuses to take over the financial institution, Evangelos Venizelos will take the close supervision of this ministry too.

Tags: PoliticsDeputiesResignationsPrime ministerParliamentary groupPASOKGeorge Papandreou
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