Monday’s debate between SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras and New Democracy chief Vangelis Meimarakis on public broadcaster ERT was an exchange of accusations, ambiguous trivialities and vague promises.
Tsipras expressed the certainty that SYRIZA will win the elections and form government, while Meimarakis appeared that he was asking his opponent to form a strong coalition of both parties, a “national team,” that will bring political stability, implement the bailout program and create an economic plan for growth.
However, the SYRIZA leader stressed the differences between the two parties and refused to accept a coalition with New Democracy. He said that the only way to secure stability would be to have as big a percentage as possible and ally with the Independent Greeks again.
“There will either be a progressive government or a conservative government,” Tsipras stressed.
On his part, Meimarakis insisted that Greek voters want a coalition government and the two parties to cooperate: “If we have a common course we can cooperate because Greeks demand a national team; Greeks want us to cooperate, to create a new plan on how the country will be governed; a national negotiating team.”
To stress his point, the ND leader said there are many capable politicians from all political sides, including SYRIZA MPs and ministers of the interim government, he would like to have in ministries, if elected.
Tsipras accused New Democracy and PASOK for ruling Greece for forty years steeped in corruption. He said that the previous Samaras-Venizelos government did nothing to tackle corruption and tax evasion. Meimarakis retorted by saying that the SYRIZA-ANEL government did absolutely nothing to fight corruption and showed signs of corruption themselves.
On the Greek debt, Meimarakis told Tsipras not to promise Greek people a debt haircut because the deal that he signed has a clause of debt restructuring, not debt write-off.
Meimarakis also accused Tsipras for chasing away investors and investments saying that all major privatizations that had been agreed on did not materialize when SYRIZA came to power in January. He further said that SYRIZA is against private investments because of their leftist ideology and said Tsipras sent the message that he doesn’t want businesses to come here.
On his part, the ND chief promised that he will unblock all major projects: “We will absorb EU funds, we will move ahead with all major projects; we start work on Monday.” He also said that in 2014 Greece showed growth on gross domestic product, but “Tsipras was in a hurry to come to power” and destroyed everything in seven months.
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