GREECE: Main opposition party leader Andonis Samaras says Prime Minister George Papandreou's call for a referendum has put the country's EU membership in peril and calls for snap elections

Record ID: 858264

  • Title: GREECE: Main opposition party leader Andonis Samaras says Prime Minister George Papandreou's call for a referendum has put the country's EU membership in peril and calls for snap elections
  • Date: 2nd November 2011
  • Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (NOVEMBER 1, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF LEADER OF GREECE'S MAIN OPPOSITION PARTY 'NEW DEMOCRACY', ANDONIS SAMARAS, ARRIVING AT THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE, WALKING IN WITH HIS AIDES SAMARAS WALKING UP PALACE STEPS
  • Embargoed: 17th November 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece, Greece
  • City:
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: Economy,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVACF7MWD5IN7W25WYIJROW8480Y
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Greece's main opposition said on Tuesday (November 1) that a call for a referendum by Prime Minister George Papandreou had caused a dilemma for the country and that snap elections were now a national necessity.
    Papandreou's shock announcement on Monday (October 31) that he will put an agreed bailout for Greece to a referendum threatened to intensify the euro zone crisis, and brought complaints in Germany that Athens was trying to wriggle out of the deal.
    Greece's opposition New Democracy party leader Andonis Samaras told Greek President Karolos Papoulias he had a responsibility to ensure that Greece's future prospects were not jeopardised.
    "Mr. President, I came to tell you that during these critical moments, I have the historical responsibility, in every way, to do whatever is needed so that no problems arise for the European prospect and the future of our country," he told the president on Tuesday.
    Samaras described Papandreou's call for a referendum 'blackmail' and said the prime minister's move made elections a necessity.
    "In order to save himself Mr. Papandreou has posed a dilemma of blackmail that puts our future and our position in Europe in danger. I explained to the president that New Democracy is determined, at all costs, to prevent such opportunistic experiments. We do not have in front of us just a request for elections, at this moment elections are a national necessity," Samaras told reporters.
    Last week euro zone leaders agreed to a second 130 billion euro bailout rescue loan for the cash-strapped country as well as a 50-percent write-down on its crippling debt to make it sustainable.
    Nearly 60 percent of Greeks view Thursday's (October 27) EU summit agreement on the new bailout package as negative or probably negative, a survey published in a Greek newspaper, "To Vima" showed on Saturday (October 29).
    Around half of those surveyed in the Saturday poll said the agreement signed in Brussels was a blow to Greece's sovereignty, handing more control over economic affairs to the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.
    Only 36 percent of the 1,009 people questioned in the telephone poll said the package was positive or probably positive for Greece. But only 37.3 percent of those questioned said they wanted elections now.
    Repeated austerity measures to qualify for bailout loans have led to several defections from Papandreou's socialist party and continuous strikes and protests.
    Opposition parties have refused to back the government's austerity measures up until now, saying they are sinking the economy, and have repeatedly called for elections.
    On Monday, Papandreou said he would ask for a vote of confidence to secure support for his economic policy for the remainder of his four-year term, which expires in 2013.
    But he ruled out elections.
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