- Title: EUROZONE-GREECE/RESHUFFLE REAX Greeks react to cabinet reshuffle
- Date: 18th July 2015
- Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (JULY 18, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING ON SYNTAGMA SQUARE/ GREEK PARLIAMENT IN BACKGROUND GREEK FLAG VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING ON SQUARE (SOUNDBITE)(Greek) ATHENS RESIDENT, ANGELIKI TRIANTAFYLLOPOULOU, A TEACHER, AGED 60, SAYING: "I think this reshuffle was a good idea, those that were in the cabinet and disagreed with the government's policy ne
- Embargoed: 2nd August 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Greece
- Country: Greece
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA33J1LVPW8SYTVMBE2SP77USTL
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Greeks on Saturday (July 18) were unimpressed by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' cabinet reshuffle that expelled dissidents who voted against reforms demanded by international creditors in return for a third bailout package.
Tsipras sacked hardline former Energy Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis and two deputy ministers on Friday (July 17) in a change that marked a split with the main leftist faction in the ruling Syriza party following a rebellion over the bailout terms.
The deal, approved with the support of opposition parties on Thursday after 39 Syriza rebels withheld their backing, agrees a painful mix of tax hikes, spending curbs and pension cuts as well as a rollback of collective bargaining agreements.
In addition, 50 billion euros ($54.14 billion) in public assets are to be placed in a special privatisation fund to act as collateral for loans of up to 86 billion euros that must now be agreed with European partners.
Some Greeks were cautiously optimistic about the future of Tsipras' government.
"I think this reshuffle was a good idea, those that were in the cabinet and disagreed with the government's policy needed to be removed because they wouldn't have been able to implement the measures. This is not to say that I agree with or applaud these measures, but the government needs to be strong and united in such difficult times," said 60-year-old Angeliki Triantafyllopoulou, a teacher.
"We shall see. The money is all gone, we need to adjust to reality and get to work," said Konstantinos Vasilakis, a pensioner.
But others saw the reshuffle and the bailout deal as a betrayal of voters' hopes.
"I think they will be able to pass these measures, but this government has crushed our hopes, so many people voted for them and now their hopes have been crushed. So they will pass these measures but they will soon fall because they lied too much," said 45-year-old, Giorgos Kamilas, who has been out of work for the last year.
Negotiations on the package are set to begin next week after parliaments in Germany and other European countries gave their assent and European authorities approved emergency funding that should enable Athens to avoid defaulting on a 3.5 billion euro debt repayment due on Monday (July 20).
The European Central Bank has also agreed to release 900 million euros in emergency credit next week to the stricken Greek banking sector. But banks remain closed until at least Sunday and it is still unclear whether they will be able to reopen immediately.
The new ministers were sworn in by the Greek president in a ceremony on Saturday. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None