ATHENS: Greece’s recent government crisis and failure to meet privatisation targets will not derail an international bailout, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said yesterday.
Samaras’ government saw its parliamentary majority sharply reduced on Friday after the small Democratic Left party left the ruling coalition to protest against an abrupt shutdown of the state broadcaster ERT.
Samaras told the newspaper To Vima that his new, two-party government with the Socialist PASOK party would be more coherent, adding that he expected no problems in talks with lenders who are inspecting Greece’s austerity and economic reform programme.
“The government went through a rough patch over the last few days but it stood on its feet and continues with renewed determination and much better cooperation,” To Vima quoted him as saying.
Samaras’s conservative New Democracy party and PASOK together control only 153 of the 300 seats in parliament. A few independents may also back the government, and the Democratic Left has signalled it could support some reforms on a case-by-case basis to keep Greece in the euro.
Samaras and PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos are expected to meet as soon as Sunday to update their coalition agreement and arrange a cabinet reshuffle. According to Greek media reports, Yannis Stournaras is expected to remain finance minister.
The new government will have to conclude talks with the so-called “troika” of international lenders — the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank — who return to Athens later this month for a regular review of Greece’s compliance with the terms of their bailout.
Reuters
