Former Greek premier George Papandreou said Prime Minister Antonis Samaras can’t settle for the resignation of his top aide who reportedly told the spokesman for the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party the Premier tried to influence the judiciary and trumped up charges to get votes from the extremists for his New Democracy Conservatives.
New Democracy’s Cabinet Secretary Takis Baltakos quit after the revelation and then said his statements were made to appease Golden Dawn which has complained the arrest of its party hierarchy was a political persecution.
Papandreou was the former leader of the PASOK Socialists who are partners in a coalition led by New Democracy, in which current Socialist leader Evangelos Venizelos – embroiled in a bitter feud with Papandreou – is Deputy Premier/Foreign Minister.
The office of Papandreou, who is a Member of Parliament now, issued an announcement which stated the case the case is “a family affair for the right parties” and that Samaras must do more than just let his aide go.
He said that that “Greek Government’s responsibilities are obvious; however Baltakos’ resignation is not enough,” without explaining what else should be done, although the major opposition party Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) said that two ministers implicated by Baltakos should be forced out.
Papandreou said that, “Democracy is at stake” and “all the democratic and progressive political forces to be united, in order to defend the democratic regime and the public interest, without any annotations, asterisks, second thoughts and micropolitical behavior.” He didn’t explain what that meant.
But he accused the government – which includes his own party – of using political practices to reinforce extremism at a “crucial time for Greece” and said that democratic regime and the state’s institutions were in danger.
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