Thessaloniki, AP – Greece ‘s economy is expected to expand in the third quarter for the first time in eight years, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said Saturday.
In a speech in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, Samaras hailed what he said was an “unprecedented success” in getting the heavily indebted country out of its deepest ever financial crisis.
“In a couple of years, we have made more reforms than in previous decades,” he said, referring to his tenure as prime minister.
Before agreeing to support a coalition government with the socialists in November 2011, conservative leader Samaras had opposed many of the austerity measures he later embraced wholeheartedly.
Samaras promised a 30 percent reduction in the taxation of heating oil, reversing a measure imposed in 2012 which failed to bring added revenue and adversely affected the environment. He also said he would lighten the burden of a much decried property tax based on property values from before the crisis.
The Greek premier also said he will set up a development fund to help small and medium firms and will cut power prices for industries.
Samaras said it is impossible to bring wages and pensions up to pre-crisis levels but promised raises for military and police personnel, seen as a conservative-friendly constituency.
Samaras was speaking at the opening of the Thessaloniki International Fair, a traditional venue for Greek leaders to announce the coming year’s economic policy.
The Greek premier also hailed what he said was a success in reforming health, social security and education by cutting excessive spending and combatting fraud.
The measures announced by Mr. Samaras have not been approved by Greece’s troika of international creditors — the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund — which has granted Greece two loan programs worth 240 billion euros since 2010. Troika inspectors are expected in Athens this month for their next review after three days of talks with government officials in Paris last week. If they accept the measures, they will probably demand alternative cuts to offset the lost revenue.
Early elections would be suicide, says Samaras
Prime Minister Antonis Samaras warned on Saturday that Greece would be commiting “political suicide” and risking a “return to chaos” if it fails to elect a new president early next year and has to hold early national elections instead.
Samaras used the presidential issue as a platform for an attack on SYRIZA, which he accused of craving instability.
“Greece is gradually finding its feet… but there are those who would do whatever they can so nothing changes,” the prime minister said in reference to the opposition party. “They are not even afraid to play with the Constitution.
“They failed to bring down the government from the sidewalks so now they will try with the presidential election.”
Samaras insisted that a growing number of people believe the government’s candidate will be able to attract the minimum number of 180 votes needed in Parliament to be elected. Nevertheless, he argued that a failure to achieve this target would be disastrous for Greece.
“An early trip to the ballot box would be political suicide,” said Samaras, describing as “dangerous” those who “want to lead the country into the worst possible situation at the worst possible moment.”
“Who wants to take this risk? And to achieve what? A return to chaos?”
Anti-government protests, a usual staple of the Thessaloniki fair, will take place Saturday.
Private and public sector umbrella trade unions GSEE and ADEDY, the Thessaloniki Labour Centre and the Thessaloniki Association of Public Sector Employees have called for a rally on Saturday at 18.00.
Communist Party (KKE)-affiliated PAME labour organization on Saturday afternoon will hold a separate protest, while associations of non-parliamentary leftist parties, as well as, activists’ groups against the gold mining in Halkidiki will stage their own rallies.
Nonetheless, 4,000 policemen are ready and there has been a ban on protests near the fair grounds.
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