Venizelos Cool to New Coalition, Attacks New Democracy, SYRIZA

Andy Dabilis

EUROKINISSI
Despite sharing power with his otherwise bitter ideological rival the New Democracy Conservatives in a brief coalition ahead of the stalemated May 6 elections, new PASOK Socialist chief Evangelos Venizelos said his slumping party won’t again work with any party after the June 17 polls which doesn’t accept his party’s principles.

ATHENS – Despite sharing power with his otherwise bitter ideological rival the New Democracy Conservatives in a brief coalition ahead of the stalemated May 6 elections, new PASOK Socialist chief Evangelos Venizelos said his slumping party won’t again work with any party after the June 17 polls which doesn’t accept his party’s principles. PASOK finished third in the first elections that didn’t give any party enough of the vote to form a government and its support is continuing to erode while New Democracy and SYRIZA are slugging it out for the lead. Venizelos, who as finance minister in the coalition doubled income and property taxes, taxed the poor and imposed 74 percent losses on investors, locking Greece out of borrowing markets and pushing the country’s banks to the brink of near-insolvency, said during a party campaign rally that his rivals are offering Greeks a “dangerous and dead-end scenery,” and that national unity is needed, not promises he said “that divide the society.” He said only PASOK had the answers, warning that, “Those who are pre-electorally promising a manufactured paradise,” that the people will be enraged and will be very harsh when they realize that all those were lies and delusions.

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June 04, 2012

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1. Philip Vorgias wrote on June 04, 2012 4:02 PM	After decades of spearheading the clientelism, corrupt practices and decadence in Greek politics the PASOK leadership presides over a party in disgrace-and soon to disappear. Venizelos was prominent in passing many of the bills which protected ministers from corruption charges. He even attempted to defend Akis Tsochatzopoulos on the basis that the statute of limitations had expired on his crimes! How utterly appalling. Venizelos may as well turn off the light and shut the door on PASOK, Greeks have had enough of his type of government.

2. Niko Seretis wrote on June 04, 2012 4:08 PM	He came from the same pile of skata that Akis and the rest of them came from. Now he wants to be prime minister so he can pardon Akis for his crimes against Greece. Good riddence to them all!
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Thursday, May 23, 2013 Last Update: 10:33 PM ET