Galery

2

1

A karmic day for Greece seems to be June 15, not only because the full moon and the full lunar eclipse, which we will see tonight. Today at 16.30 h the Economic Commission of the Greek Parliament will start the discussions on the medium-term program for economic development of the country for the period 2012-2015. Its adoption is the condition the Euro zone countries set to activate the second rescue plan for the financial stabilization of Greece. Following the procedures, the earliest possible date for the vote on its second reading by the plenary meeting is June 28 and the ballot will be evident and named.

While the parliament is preparing for the crucial debate the situation around the building is boiling with anger. The discontented began to gather on Syntagma Square still at 7.00 h this morning. They, together with deputies from the Communist Party of Greece and the Coalition of the Radical Left, are determined to block the entrance of the building and not to allow the deputies to enter it. Tension will reach its peak after 12 o’clock at noon when the processions organized by the trade unions of public and private employees, and the communist trade union PAME will arrive on the square. Today are planned demonstrations and processions in 67 cities in the Greek province.

Unions announced that a 24-hour general strike will be held today, June 15, which involves employees in the public and private sector, municipalities and banks. Public transport will be running during the day but not in the early morning and late evening hours. Trains and ships will stand still today, and the hospitals will take only emergencies. Pharmacies have also joined the general strike. Tradesmen will close their shops between 12.00 and 15.00 h.

The drama of the day is completed by the extraordinary meeting of the Prime Minister George Papandreou with the President Karolos Papoulias announced late last night. The meeting is scheduled for 13.00 h and was requested by the Greek Prime Minister. Officially, he will inform the head of state for the medium-term program for economic development of Greece for the period 2012-2015. Unofficially, however, it is believed that the meeting was triggered by the political turmoil inside and outside the ruling PASOK party, which is literally playing with the fire of early elections at a time when Greece is threatened by bankruptcy and the Greek society is doomed to go decades back in its development.

The spirits were sparked by the decision of the Socialist deputy from Florina Georgios Lianis to leave the parliamentary group of PASOK, because he disagrees with the government economic policy. Meanwhile, another Socialist deputy, this time from Kozani - Alexandros Athanasiadis - said he would vote against the medium term program because he disagrees with the privatization of Greece's National Electricity Company.

According to political analysts, George Papandreou will require the medium-term program to be adopted with an absolute rather than with a simple majority – i.e. with 180 not with 151 votes. At today's meeting with the President Karolos Papoulias he will ask to reconvene the national council of political leaders in a last attempt at finding a political consensus. And if the medium-term program does not receive 180 votes, the outcome is clear - early elections.