One in two place share of blame on Karamanlis
One in two people believe that Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis bears a share of the responsibility for the Zachopoulos scandal and that the affair is of political significance, according to the results of a survey published yesterday. The Public Issue survey, commissioned by Kathimerini, showed that 50 percent of respondents said that Karamanlis has a share of personal responsibility in the affair. Karamanlis, who took charge of the Culture Ministry when the conservatives won the elections in March 2004, and his wife Natasa, have both been closely linked to the former Culture Ministry general secretary. Greeks seem to be convinced of the importance of the issue despite being disappointed in the way it has been presented by the press. Sixty-seven percent of those surveyed said they believe it is a «very or fairly important» issue, while 26 percent replied that it was not that important at all. The majority of respondents, 70 percent, believe television stations have covered up parts of the case, while six in 10 said the issue has been blown out of proportion by the networks. The Greek press has focused heavily on the alleged blackmailing incident since the attempted suicide, with speculation about the DVD’s content and the names of the parties involved taking up top news spots. The survey was held on 614 adults across Greece last Wednesday and Thursday.
