GREECE: Communist party members march through Athens in protest after Prime Minister George Papandreou reshuffled his cabinet in bid to unite his party behind tough austerity measures
Record ID:
574771
GREECE: Communist party members march through Athens in protest after Prime Minister George Papandreou reshuffled his cabinet in bid to unite his party behind tough austerity measures
- Title: GREECE: Communist party members march through Athens in protest after Prime Minister George Papandreou reshuffled his cabinet in bid to unite his party behind tough austerity measures
- Date: 19th June 2011
- Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (JUNE 18, 2011) (REUTERS) COMMUNIST PARTY SUPPORTERS WITH FLAGS IN SQUARE MAN GIVING SPEECH PROTESTERS WITH FLAGS LISTENING TO SPEECHES PROTESTER IN FRONT OF BANNER PROTESTERS WITH BANNERS IN SQUARE PROTESTERS WALKING AWAY WITH A BANNER (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) COMMUNIST PARTY GENERAL SECRETARY ALEKA PAPARIGA, SAYING: "Don't be fooled. Don't fall into the government's and old PASOK's trap. Lenders and debtors will sit at the same table having agreed to skin the people alive." PROTESTERS MARCHING TOWARDS PARLIAMENT COMMUNIST PARTY SUPPORTERS WITH RED FLAGS MARCHING VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING WITH BANNERS PROTESTERS WITH FLAGS MOTHER AND CHILD WITH FLAG COMMUNISTS ARRIVING IN SYNTAGMA SQUARE PROTESTERS MARCHING IN FRONT OF PARLIAMENT BUILDING SECURITY IN FRONT OF THE PARLIAMENT POLICE WITH SHIELDS IN FRONT OF PARLIAMENT LINE OF POLICE BEHIND BARRIER IN FRONT OF PARLIAMENT DEMONSTRATORS MARCHING AND STOPPING IN FRONT OF PARLIAMENT DEMONSTRATORS WITH FLAGS AND SECURITY BEHIND THEM VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATORS IN FRONT OF PARLIAMENT FLAG
- Embargoed: 4th July 2011 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Greece, Greece
- Country: Greece
- Topics: Economic News,Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA9IQGB5Q44UGKOTJR5GPUA7I88
- Story Text: Greek Communist Party supporters rallied in the centre of Athens on Saturday (June 18) a day after Prime Minister George Papandreou reshuffled his cabinet in the face of mounting opposition to austerity measures within his own socialist PASOK party.
Papandreou, whose party suffered four defections, three of them over the past week, is tasked with passing a second wave of stringent measures in order to secure the next tranche of EU and IMF aid.
The week of political turmoil culminated in the appointment of a new finance minister, Evangelos Venizelos, in a bid to unite the fractious party.
Battered by strikes, protests and the string of resignations, Papandreou said his reshuffled government would push through the unpopular fiscal and structural reform programme while doing more to stimulate growth.
But the Communist Party leader said the ruling party's changes made no difference and that the austerity measures would still be as harsh.
"Don't be fooled. Don't fall into the government's and old PASOK's trap. Lenders and debtors will sit at the same table having agreed to skin the people alive," said Communist Party general secretary Aleka Papriga during the protest.
The demonstrators marched through the streets of the Greek capital before massing in front of the parliament, where they stayed for a short while before leaving again.
The Communist Party has refused to cooperate or show any unity with the government over the austerity measures package, and refused to attend a meeting of party leaders last month requested by Prime Minister Papandreou.
The party says the reform programme will destroy the rights of workers and drive citizens into poverty.
Greece's political upheaval and three weeks of protests have pounded markets and drawn criticism from other EU states, where policymakers have dithered over how best to keep funding Greece and forestall a disastrous "credit event".
EU officials have been urging Greek leaders from all parties to take responsible action and get behind the reform plan, however painful. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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