Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has told New Democracy MPs that he does not think Greece will go to snap elections early next year over the election of a new President of the Hellenic Republic.
Speaking off the record to New Democracy deputies at the Parliament’s café, following the unveiling of an exhibition commemorating 40 years since the restoration of democracy in 1974, Samaras appeared confident that early elections would not be needed.
“It looks like we are not heading toward elections. It seems we have the 180 number of deputies needed to approve the President’s election.” Samaras said.
Earlier in the day, Parliament speaker Evangelos Meimarakis also said that the current House is able to elect a new President, but expressed his concern over the fact that the discussion about the votes had been “premature” leading to an “extended pre-election period.”
Samaras further expressed optimism about the future of Greece, in a statement marking the 40th anniversary of the return of Democracy to Greece in 1974, after a seven-year military dictatorship.
“Democracy has deep roots in Greece, which are soaked in the struggles and sacrifices of the Greek people. It has nothing to fear. Each day it grows stronger and will continue to do so because I am optimistic about the future, and the Greek people will have to realize that this optimism stems from facts,” he said.
The Prime Minister noted that “the economy will improve further,” adding that stability in Greece is manifold considering that the country is surrounded by major hotbeds of conflict.
He also said that the tourism sector, given the fact that the country will be visited by 20 million tourists this year, namely two tourists for every Greek, “will bring liquidity to the economy and things will improve even more.”
“Therefore, I am really optimistic and I want the Greek people to be aware of this optimism. I mean what I say,” the Prime Minister underlined.
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