Without explanation, former Greek prime minister George Papandreou abruptly cancelled a scheduled Nov. 7 speech in Toronto on the Greek economic crisis to fly back to Athens so he could be present when the Parliament votes on a critical $17.45 billion spending cut and tax hike plan put forward by Prime Minister Antonis.
Papandreou is still a Member of Parliament for the PASOK Socialist party he led before giving up that post earlier this year, a few months after he resigned as prime minister in the face of relentless protests, strikes and riots against austerity measures he imposed on the orders of international lenders.
While serving in Parliament, he is also teaching at Harvard and has been signed by a lecture company to give speeches on the crisis that critics said he and his rival New Democracy party, now headed by Samaras, his one-time roommate at Amherst College, created by packing public payrolls with hundreds of thousands of needless workers for generations in return for votes.
Samaras is now ruling in a coalition with PASOK, headed by Evangelos Venizelos, and the Democratic Left. While they control 177 of the 300 seats in Parliament, objections to some of the toughest new austerity measures have created likely defections that could reduce that majority to as few as 153, Greek media reported.
Tickets to hear Papandreou explain what went wrong in Greece and how it is affecting the Eurozone, were going for $190 to $430 each, while a table of eight was priced at $2.825. There was no information on whether he was to be paid or how much. The event was organized by TMA, Turnout Management Association and scheduled for the Fairmont Royal York Hotel the same night of the vote.
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