Samaras Pushes Hard for a Budget Deal

With his coalition government splintering, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras will meet his coalition partners on Oct. 23 for talks on trying to finalize a $17.45 billion spending cut and tax hike package that has been stalled for months, delaying the release of critical funds from international lenders.
Samaras, the New Democracy Conservative leader, will meet PASOK Socialist Evangelos Venizelos, who is facing defections and a challenge to his new leadership over his support for austerity measures, and Democratic Left head Fotis Kouvelis, who is also facing opposition for his backing of more pay cuts, tax hikes and slashed pensions. All three leaders had vowed ahead of the critical June 17 elections to resist austerity measures but have reneged on their promises.
Samaras said he must get agreement from his partners and the Troika of the European Union-International Monetary Fund-European Central Bank (EU-IMF-ECB) that is putting up $325 billion two bailouts.
The package then will go to the Parliament the government controls, although the Prime Minister already has ejected one party member for failing to back him and the other coalition partners are facing growing opposition as well. Nikos Stavrogiannis, was dismissed from the New Democracy parliamentary group after saying he would vote against the measures because they were “unfair, harsh and ineffective.” Stavrogiannis hit back saying he could no longer follow ND’s “Ovidian transformations.”
Media reports said the government and Troika officials are close to an agreement after talking since July. Samaras said unless Greece gets a $38.8 billion loan installment by Nov. 16 that the country will run out of money to pay workers and pensioners.
The coalition faces a test in Parliament on Oct. 23 when lawmakers will debate and vote on legislation that will facilitate privatizations. PASOK MP Paris Koukoulopoulos suggested that a clause should be inserted requiring Parliament to approve each sell off.