NEWS

Ex-PM Papandreou lashes out at predecessor, successors

Ex-PM Papandreou lashes out at predecessor, successors

Former Prime Minister George Papandreou hit out on Tuesday at his predecessor Costas Karamanlis a day after the latter appeared at an event in Athens where a report was presented suggesting that the New Democracy government that came to power in 2004 inherited a troubled economy.

The report claims that the conservative administration led by Karamanlis between 2004 and 2009 was hampered because of a series of bond maturities and the need to pay for defense purchases agreed by the previous government.

In a lengthy reply issued via his party, the Movement of Democratic Socialists (KIDISO), Papandreou rejected the claims and accused Karamanlis of “statistical fraud” as well as overseeing the increase of Greece’s public debt from 180 billion euros to 300 billion.

He also claimed that his successor as prime minister, conservative Antonis Samaras, and SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras were elected as premiers on the back of lies about Greece’s bailout.

He argued that they are the reason that Greece is still under a program today.

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