Kouvelis Slams Coalition, Says No Return, Slaps SYRIZA Too

Democratic Left (DIMAR) leader Fotis Kouvelis said he won’t return to the coalition government headed by Prime Minister Antonis Samaras’ New Democracy Conservatives. The administration was left with just the fading PASOK Socialists as a partner when Kouvelis yanked DIMAR last year after refusing to back the firing of all 2,653 workers at the now-defunct ERT national broadcaster. PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos supported the firings and was named Deputy Premier/Foreign Minister but it has been costly as the Socialists have fallen to 3-5 percent support and tied themselves to a new center-left political alliance, Elia (Olive Tree) to stay alive politically. New Democracy is locked in a close duel with the major opposition Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) ahead of the May 25 European Parliament elections and a second round of balloting in Greek municipalities. Speaking at a televised news conference, Kouvelis said New Democracy and PASOK had strayed from policy agreements when DIMAR was part of the government, citing ERT and still-lagging privatization. Venizelos had hinted that with the coalition having only a two-vote majority in Parliament that DIMAR might be invited to come back with its 14 votes but Kouvelis ruled it out. DIMAR has fallen to under 2 percent in some polls now. Asked whether DIMAR would work with SYRIZA, Kouvelis said it hadn’t made it positions clear, leaving no room for him to align with it. Kouvelis also slammed the polarization strategy adopted by both New Democracy and SYRIZA ahead of the ballot, as the two keep saying he other would be disastrous for the country.

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