New Democracy’s political council convenes to decide line opposite gov’t
The political council of the main conservative opposition New Democracy convened on Friday morning to decide on the line the party should take vis-a-vis the SYRIZA and Independent Greeks ruling coalition.
The meeting came after ND leader Antonis Samaras ratcheted up the rhetoric opposite the new leftist-led coalition, essentially accusing it of misleading voters over the agreement signed at the February 20 Eurogroup. In a long statement on Thursday Samaras accused the new government of “not only not tearing up the memorandum but co-signing it.” He added that the reason the government has not brought the extension agreement to a vote in Parliament is because it fears reaction within its own ranks. Government officials have said the pact will be brought to the House for discussion but not a vote which Greece is not legally required to carry out, they say.
Responding to Samaras’ critique on Thursday, government spokesman Gavriil Sakellaidis accused the former premier of being “in a complete strategic deadlock.”
