Samaras Says Tsipras Destabilizes Greece

On the eve of elections for municipalities and EU Parliament, Prime Minister and New Democracy Conservative leader Antonis Samaras said SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras is trying to destabilize Greece just as it’s recovering from a crushing economic crisis. Greeks go to the polls on May to elect leaders of municipalities and polls show New Democracy slightly ahead, but behind in the May 25 elections for the European Parliament. Samaras’ coalition partner, the PASOK Socialists, are near dead last despite aligning themselves with a new center-left political movement called Elia, or Olive Tree. Samaras spoke out as PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos – who is his Deputy Premier/Foreign Minister – said the government needs a broader coalition as it teeters with only a two-vote majority in Parliament and Venizelos being challenged after taking the party to the edge of extinction after backing more austerity measures. “I want to publicly accuse Mr. Tsipras, in front of the Greek people, of undermining the national effort,” Samaras told an audience in Thessaloniki. “While all Europeans are preparing to elect representatives for the European Parliament, Mr. Tsipras is calling on Greeks to bring down their government.” Samaras argued that Tsipras is putting the possibility of an economic recovery this year at risk. Tsipiras said while Samaras has declared he’s creating a “success story,” that big pay cuts, tax hikes, slashed pensions and worker firings have created a social tragedy of record unemployment and deep poverty. Samaras went straight after Tsipras. “He sees the elections as a vehicle for destabilization… at a time when more than ever we need to follow a steady path to capitalize on what we have achieved through so many sacrifices,” added the premier, as he expressed his support for New Democracy’s candidate for Central Macedonia Governor, Yiannis Ioannidis. In two TV interviews, Venizelos, apparently desperate to stay in power, said that he would approach President Karolos Papoulias after the elections to discuss the prospects for forming a broad “unity government” no matter how PASOK and Elia fare. Venizelos suggested that Samaras should bring back a previous coalition member, the Democratic Left (DIMAR) that quit last year in protest at the firing of all 2,653 workers at the now defunct state broadcaster ERT, a move that Venizelos backed, further eroding the Socialist base but elevating him. DIMAR leader Fotis Kouvelis has already flatly ruled out coming back and his party is floundering below the 3 percent threshold needed to win seats in Parliament if early elections are held before the government’s term runs out in 2016. Tsipras said the ruling parties will be repudiated and that national elections will have to be called, which he said would bring him to power. He has vowed to seek revisions to the terms of 240 billion euros ($330.7 billion) in two bailouts from the Troika of the European Union-International Monetary Fund-European Central Bank (EU-IMF-ECB) or default, a prospect that frightens EU leaders. “The government must make an effort to rally all political forces,” Venizelos said, indicating that the common goal should be to project an impression of unity. He had said that if PASOK and Elia don’t do well at the polls that the government could fall because Samaras can’t rule without him. Venizelos appealed to those “flirting with” the idea of voting for SYRIZA not to do so, even as a protest, saying that would be “a dangerous game.” He added: “If someone thinks SYRIZA will bring back all that was lost between 2010 and 2014, they are mistaken,” referring to the austerity measures that financially crippled most Greeks.  

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