Coalition partners publish agreement blueprint
The three parties that have formed the coalition government led by Antonis Samaras have reached an agreement on the main policy goals, as included in the document published on Friday, ahead of the government asking for the new Parliament to give it a vote of confidence.
There are five main domains that New Democracy, PASOK and Democratic Left have agreed on: They are the amendment of the bailout agreement, changes to the political system, growth issues that are not covered by the bailout agreement, initiatives against illegal immigration, and social protection issues.
As far as the amendment to the memorandum of understanding that Athens has signed with its creditors is concerned, the agreed text provides for ?an extension to the period for the fiscal adjustment by at least two years, so that the fiscal target is met without further cuts in salaries and pensions.?
The government will also seek the restoration of ?collective autonomy [in industrial relations] and the application of collective labor contracts,? as well as the arrangement of ?overdue obligations of taxpayers for this year so that they do not exceed 25 percent of their income.?
The three parties also agreed against any sackings in the public sector and in reducing value-added tax in food catering from 23 percent to 13 percent.
Besides the agreed domains, the text signed by the three government parties states that ?there are also other issues to which dialogue has not proceeded yet,? and that ?the effort for cooperation will continue in the future in those as well as other issues to emerge in the future.?
Such issues are said to include the recapitalization of the banking system, that is not mentioned in the text. The only reference made is about ATEbank and its recapitalization and streamlining with the preservation of its farmland mortgage portfolio.
