Opposition parties slam outcome of mini-summit
Opposition parties on Friday reacted with skepticism to the results of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’s late-night crisis talks with EU officials in Brussels on Thursday.
Conservative officials seem to interpret the outcome as one final extension granted to Athens by foreign creditors. They deem that the leftist leader was forced to sign up to specific commitments in line with eurozone demands.
“If Greece is to avoid asphyxiation, Tsipras will have to pass the test of the new measures,” New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras said in a statement Friday, adding that Greece’s progress will be assessed by the troika in Athens and the Eurogroup in Brussels. “The lies that we have been hearing until now are over,” the former premier said.
However, conservative officials appear divided over the government’s real intentions – that is whether it will go for an honest albeit politically damaging consensus with creditors or whether SYRIZA will keep to its ambivalent posturing, further jeopardizing Greece’s liquidity and position in the eurozone.
Speaking in Parliament on Friday, PASOK chief Evangelos Venizelos accused the government of dragging its feet since last month’s Eurogroup deal.
“We confirmed on March 20 what was agreed on February 20,” the Socialist leader said, adding that the government’s doublespeak was damaging the country’s bargaining position.
The administration’s public language also came under fire from Potami centrists.
“You have lapsed into verbalism and demagoguery… The only way we can steer ourselves out of the existing deadlock is [by introducing] a set of radical reforms that will bring about investments and growth and reduce unemployment,” party leader Stavros Theodorakis said.
A statement from the Communist Party (KKE) said Tsipras had effectively agreed to extend the policies agreed to by his predecessors.
“The people will once again foot the bill,” the party said.
