ND keeps up the pressure on leftists
New Democracy on Thursday stepped up its attempts to portray election rival SYRIZA and its leader, Alexis Tsipras, as not being responsible enough to govern Greece at this crucial point in the country?s history.
The conservatives seized on a comment about the euro made by Tsipras in an interview on Wednesday night. Speaking on NET TV, the leftist said Greece?s currency was not a ?fetish? for his party and that the primary focus should be on lightening the country?s economic problems.
On Wednesday, three SYRIZA members who appeared on separate political talk shows said they did not believe Greece should stay in the euro at any cost. New Democracy responded to these comments by referring to an interview given by French President Francois Hollande on Wednesday in which he warned that some eurozone countries would like to see Greece leave the single currency.
?At a time when the French president is warning that some people are looking for an excuse to force Greece out of the eurozone, Mr Tsipras confirms that he is gambling on behalf of the drachma lobby and proves how irresponsible and dangerous he is,? said ND spokesman Yiannis Michelakis.
New Democracy has campaigned heavily on the issue of trustworthiness since the May 6 election, attempting to convince voters that an untested Tsipras and his party, which gained just 4.6 percent of the vote in 2009, lack the experience and policies to govern. The conservatives claim this could lead Greece back to the drachma.
?Do you want the euro and stability or the drachma and isolation? Do you want security and checks on illegal immigration or fear? Do you want a stable government or a lack of governance?? ND leader Antonis Samaras asked an audience in Thessaloniki.
Samaras is due to hold his final campaign rally in Syntagma Square, central Athens, this evening.
