Prime Minister George Papandreou, speaking in an interview broadcast live on state and private TV channels on Monday evening, stressed that: “It’s not my intention to call national elections, but if the situation hinders the ability of the government to make changes, then the there must be a decision by the Greek people.”
The prime minister noted that a package amounting to 110 billion euros was secured, the biggest to be secured historically. He added: “today, after these sacrifices we can hope and the first light has appeared at the end of the tunnel.”
Papandreou additionally stated: “if we delay or stop the course towards the big changes, all these sacrifices will be lost and what is most probable is that we will return to the past and to an even worse fate. We have escaped from the storm, but it cannnot be ruled out that we shall return to it.”
Papandreou underlined that he was not interested in the political cost and that his personal wager is to clash with the aim of change, with those forces that are keeping the country behind.
Referring in particular to the challenges in the local government elections, Papandreou said that there are two very important issues: “the first is that never in the past have the citizens being called on to elect local rulers with such power and for this reason we want capable and wise candidates to emerge.”
“The second is that the country is in a state of emergency and for this reason responsibility and seriousness is required.”
The first target is the salvation and reshaping of the country and this message must reach those who are undermining the country’s course and to make it clear that the course for salvation cannot be checked, the PM claimed.
Papandreou ruled out the possibility of new economic cuts, that will deal a blow at salaries and pensions. He stressed that new measures will concern the curbing of extravagance and cracking down on tax evasion.
He added that 2010 was the year of averting bankruptcy and 2011 will be the year of the completion of large structural changes. As regards the next two years, 2012 will be the year in which growth will acquire a positive index and 2013 will be the year from exiting from the memorandum.
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