New Democracy reserves judgement on potential lenders’ deal
New Democracy officials agreed on Tuesday that the party should not adopt a position yet on whether it will support or oppose any deal reached between the government and Greece’s creditors until the content of the agreement is known.
There had been differences within the conservative party over what stance New Democracy should take ahead of a possible agreement. Former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is believed to be skeptical about declaring that his party will support the deal, especially if it includes a rise in the tax burden on Greeks.
Others in the party, such as parliamentary spokesman Kyriakos Mitsotakis, believe the conservatives should not dismiss the would-be agreement out of hand. At a meeting of ND’s political council on Tuesday, all sides agreed that the main opposition should wait until it knows the details of any settlement before deciding whether to vote for it.
“We stress again that the delay in reaching an agreement has a major cost for the country and its people,” the party said in a statement after the gathering. “As the original European party in Greece, it is logical that New Democracy cannot express an opinion on a non-existent agreement. It is clear that ND supports policies that promote growth, boost productivity and create jobs.”
Samaras attended the political council meeting but did not speak, having set out his thoughts and criticism of the government during a speech at the annual general meeting of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV).
