Samaras transformation to troika representative complete
Gone are the days the European Popular Party would openly scold Antonis Samaras for his refusal to back troika policies in Greece. From May 2010 till November 2012, the leader of Greece’s conservative opposition was riding a wave of anti-austerity sentiment, criticizing EU/ECB/IMF policies as a “wrong mix” and asking for renegotiation, increasing in the process his chances for a large parliamentary majority in the 2013 elections.
Now his image lies in ruins, his party’s lead in the polls is shrinking and his parliamentary group has gone from 91 MPs after the 2009 elections to 62 MPs today. He is widely believed to have been shocked at the number of MPs (21) who defied him on Sunday and whom he summarily expelled from the party. Samaras is still the likeliest next Prime Minister, albeit a much weakened one.
Writes columninst George Delastik at Ethnos daily:
“Samaras political image is both a tragedy and a comedy, after his 180 degree turn on the new memorandum. The entire country is laughing at his decision to expel MPs who voted against the 2nd memorandum, which is much worse than the 1st, the one he refused to support. (…)
“Antonis Samaras expelled us from the party because we adopted the arguments he himself held” said freshly expelled party official Yannis Manolis. (…)
After Sunday’s vote, the face of Greek politics is radically different. The new memorandum was only approved thanks to Antonis Samaras change of heart. From now on, he bears the political responsibility for the untold misery about to befall on Greek citizens.
From now on, Nea Democratia is the main “memorandum” party. George Papandreou and Pasok are of course responsible for the Greek people s impoverishment, but Papandreou was unable to push us any further into the abyss and this is why he quit.
Let us see things for what they are. Had the Papandreou government attempted to impose the new memorandum on its own, Papandreou wouldn’t have been guaranteed a safe exit from his office even by helicopter. Samaras expects to be rewarded for his seamless cooperation with memorandum supporters in and out of Greece with the prime minister’s seat.”
Samaras transformation to troika representative complete
Gone are the days the European Popular Party would openly scold Antonis Samaras for his refusal to back troika policies in Greece. From May 2010 till November 2012, the leader of Greece’s conservative opposition was riding a wave of anti-austerity sentiment, criticizing EU/ECB/IMF policies as a “wrong mix” and asking for renegotiation, increasing in the process his chances for a large parliamentary majority in the 2013 elections.
Now his image lies in ruins, his party’s lead in the polls is shrinking and his parliamentary group has gone from 91 MPs after the 2009 elections to 62 MPs today. He is widely believed to have been shocked at the number of MPs (21) who defied him on Sunday and whom he summarily expelled from the party. Samaras is still the likeliest next Prime Minister, albeit a much weakened one.
Writes columninst George Delastik at Ethnos daily:
“Samaras political image is both a tragedy and a comedy, after his 180 degree turn on the new memorandum. The entire country is laughing at his decision to expel MPs who voted against the 2nd memorandum, which is much worse than the 1st, the one he refused to support. (…)
“Antonis Samaras expelled us from the party because we adopted the arguments he himself held” said freshly expelled party official Yannis Manolis. (…)
After Sunday’s vote, the face of Greek politics is radically different. The new memorandum was only approved thanks to Antonis Samaras change of heart. From now on, he bears the political responsibility for the untold misery about to befall on Greek citizens.
From now on, Nea Democratia is the main “memorandum” party. George Papandreou and Pasok are of course responsible for the Greek people s impoverishment, but Papandreou was unable to push us any further into the abyss and this is why he quit.
Let us see things for what they are. Had the Papandreou government attempted to impose the new memorandum on its own, Papandreou wouldn’t have been guaranteed a safe exit from his office even by helicopter. Samaras expects to be rewarded for his seamless cooperation with memorandum supporters in and out of Greece with the prime minister’s seat.”