The leader of PASOK and coalition government vice president Evangelos Venizelos gave a cross-channel interview on the Extra3, Kontra and Action24 television stations, where he addressed the government’s efforts and strategies, as well as the future of his party.
Mr. Venizelos conceded that the country needs coalition government, so long as they are progressive, in order to establish a stable, responsible and Eurocentric democracy. Mr. Venizelos promised that there will be no new austerity measure or a new bailout and estimated that the growth rte will increase in 2014.
Regarding the upcoming local government elections, Mr. Venizelos predicted that his party will be successful “but not as a party, rather as an understanding, as a group of members, as a faction, as a historical institution in local government, because any changes affected in local government is PASOK’s work, the democratic faction that is now expressed with the Olive Tree”.
When asked about opposition leaders SYRIZA, Mr. Venizelos predicted that Mr. Tsipras’ party will fail to secure any major districts or municipalities in the local government elections. Furthermore, he claimed that SYRIZA “has no roots” and argued that the way Greece will fail in exiting the crisis is “if we subvert it ourselves”.
Regarding the recent developments with the former party leader and PM Giorgos Papandreou, Mr. Venizelos attempted to downplay the rumors suggesting he was considering expelling him from the party. The PASOK leader claimed that “those are old practices” and began discussing recent financial developments. Mr. Venizelos however accused DIMAR of “acting parasitically” with regards to PASOK, and questioned the party’s political ethics.
In the interview Mr. Venizelos remarked that his government partner New Democracy will drastically change its opinions on critical issues such as the bailout in order to assume power, while expressing some reservations about the appointment of Mr. Stournaras in the Ministry of Finances.
