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GreekReporter.comGreek NewsEconomySamaras Readies September Strategy

Samaras Readies September Strategy

samarasobamaoval.jpgedited480Coasting on a boost from his meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C. during Congress’ summer recess when there were few official visits going on, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras returns to political reality in preparation for the return of envoys from international lenders next month who will again check progress on reforms before authorizing further release of rescue loans, and as labor unions gird to fight over his plans to fire up to 40,000 public workers over the next two years.
With Greeks in a summer hiatus in August, Samaras told the ministers of new newly-shaken up Cabinet not to slow the pace of meeting demands of the Troika of the European Union-International Monetary Fund-European Central Bank (EU-IMF-ECB) who also pushing the government to allow banks to foreclose on homes of Greeks unable to pay their mortgages because of big pay cuts, tax hikes and slashed pensions and as many banks have refused to restructure the loans.
Samaras, the New Democracy Conservative leader, is expected to meet with his Deputy Prime Minister, PASOK Socialist leader Evangelos Venizelos and draw up a strategy to deal with the Troika which has been squeezing hard on issues such as an accelerated pace of privatization and going after tax cheats.
Samaras is said to be happy that Obama, as expected, backed him although the American leader said Greece must balance with austerity with ways to grow, although the Premier hasn’t provided any yet. Greece is hoping Samaras can persuade German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who backs the rescue loans but at the cost of harsh measures, to back off if she’s re-elected next month.
Samaras wants to show the Troika’s inspectors that his government is making progress in meeting fiscal targets and has a stronger bargaining position that the last time they were here and his shaky coalition lost a member when he shut down the national broadcaster ERT and fired all 2,656 of its workers.
 

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