general principles of its mid-term stability program, which includes tough fiscal measures and wage cuts of 23 billion. Although it was originally planned for the details to be announced in their entirety, due to communicative reasons they ultimately decided that it’s best not to conclude the measures in May, when the package will come to parliament for a vote.
This time, Maximou realized early that the climate in society is extremely heavy and feared that the presence of parliamentarians and ministers in the provinces and elsewhere during Easter would be a risky move, if the measures were announced now. The package includes harsh taxes and further reductions in wages - but not horizontal cuts, as stated by Finance Minister Giorgos Papakonstantinou - and this could give new excuses for booing or attacks by indignant citizens against public officials of the government and PASOK.
Apparently several ministers, with whom he is meeting these days, conveyed this climate to the Prime Minister. Today, Wednesday, Papandreou is to receive the Interior minister John Ragousis, Anna Diamantopoulou (Education) and Evangelos Venizelos (National Defense).
by Yiannis Makryiannis
source: PROTO THEMA
