Wednesday, May 18, 2011

ND leader addresses Economist conference


Main opposition New Democracy (ND) party leader Antonis Samaras, addressing the Economist's conference at an Athens seaside resort on Wednesday evening,
gave a reply to European Union officials, terming as "improper intervention" their recent appeals for consensus among the political forces in Greece. 
"The country has a constitution, institutions and a government as well as an opposition and dignity. In any case, it appears that the tones are falling from Brussels on an improper intervention which does not fit neither with Europe nor with democracy. And, in any case, we do not negotiate the constitutional order of our country, we don't even discuss it. And on this, I am certain, all agree. I shall say nothing more on this, nor is it necessary." 
Samaras also cut short the discussion on consensus, saying "nobody has the right to place his failure on someone else. We disagreeed with government policy since last year. We warned of its failure. And now that it has been proved that our criticism was correct, now that more and more are confessing this failure, shall we say 'yes' to the continuation of a mistake? I am obliged, as the opposition, to consent to the mistake? On what grounds?". 
He added that the opposition does not exist to consent to the government's mistakes but to formulate alternative solutions.





ANA