Government thinks that first six months of the new year will be the hardest since many years and that is why ministers will try to create a different political climate and focus their attention on discussions for economics, deficit and debt, writes “Vima” newspaper.
In the first month of 2010 the economy will be at the top of the wave. Main subject of the Program for stability and development is the adoption of measures for tax increase on the fuels, tobacco and alcohol. It is yet uncertain what would be the government’s position if European commission sets on the negotiations table the proposition for increase of VAT.
The weight will fall also on pension – security bill of the minister of employment Andreas Loverdos and on the tax and income policies of minister of economy and finance Giorgos Papakonstantinou.
The second priority of the government is the relations to the mass communication media, which is already discussed by the Committee for institutions and transparency of the parliament. “We want a clean game and we will not leave anybody to stick a knife in our back like in the case of “First topic” newspaper” said Charalambos Pambukis, who is among the closest associates of the Prime Minister. He also warned that for the future these attempts will be openly condemned.
The third priority of the government is the administrative reform in the country and the change in the electoral law. Although the government wants to finish with this topic by the beginning of the summer, as a whole there is feeling that it is still unclear what will be the final version of the administrative and electoral charter in Greece.
At the same time a research of public opinion made by “Kathimerini” newspaper and led by Public Issue shows that citizens still have faith on political level only in the president, while the prestige of the government, the political parties and the administration has not dramatically increased during 2009. As oppose to this the trust in the Weather service, some specific institutions like the Bank of Greece, the civil ombudsman and the Supreme Council for the selection of the officers has increased, while the fire brigade, the statistical office, internet and the means for mass communication has lost some of the trust of the citizens.