ECONOMY

Venizelos scrambles to rally party support for midterm plan

Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos was expected to meet with PASOK MP Alekos Athanasiadis on Monday afternoon a bid to convince him to support the government?s mid term plan as the country faces the prospect of bankruptcy this week if the 2011-2014 agenda is not approved.

Athanasiadis has said he will not vote for the mid term plan in parliamentary votes scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, arguing that some of the companies included in the state?s privatisation agenda should remain in the hands of the state.

Another three PASOK deputies have indicated that they will reject the plan, which means that the ruling socialists will struggle to get the bill approved despite having a 155-seat majority in the 300 seat Parliament.

Venizelos is expected to meet with Athanasiadis to emphasize to him that, without the plan’s approval, Greece?s creditors will not provide the next 12 billion euro aid tranche needed to stave off bankruptcy within the next few weeks.

Skai.gr reported that Venizelos has called another PASOK deputy threatening to block the mid term plan, Thomas Robopoulos, in a bid to gain his support.

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