«For the past two-and-a-half years, PASOK has borne a disproportionate burden on its shoulders and has become the sacrificial lamb for the sins of all the past years,» the head of the Socialist party, Evangelos Venizelos said on Tuesday during an address to Parliament, in what is expected to be its last session before a date for snap polls is announced on Wednesday.

The newly elected chief of PASOK accused rival New Democracy and especially its leader, Antonis Samaras, of not owning up to any of his party's responsibility for the current state of Greece's economy, adding that PASOK admits that many of the decisions taken during its tenure in government «were unfair to the citizens and provoked the wrath of society.»

«We have already traveled two-thirds of the away along this difficult path» to economic recovery, Venizelos said, adding that «we are one step before achieving a primary surplus that will make the country sustainable and competitive and allow Greeks to regain all that they have lost."

Venizelos said that he understands that «people are scared to believe,» but also said that «they have to know whether the new [bailout] agreement will ensure the country's position in the euro or whether bankruptcy is inevitable.»