“I will not vote for the new memorandum”

The ND president talks about memorandum no2, the government, the consensus and the proposals of his party. He expresses disagreement regarding privatizations for fund purposes and the layoffs in the public sector, saying they will have a limited effect without the necessary restart of our economy. He attributes the inner and outer pressure for consensus to those who want to cover up the mistake of the memorandum. He clarifies that he is not seeking early elections, but believes that the request will come from society, and finally he dismisses the possibility of a coalition government, saying the unity of the centre-right parties is at their base.

- Which centres are pressing for a consensus?

Last year I was criticized for revealing the mistake of the memorandum policy and because I refused to sign it. Nowadays, on an international level as well as within the Greek public opinion, everybody realizes that the memorandum was a mistake. It would be impossible to accept after the fact the mistake I had dismissed earlier. Some people then need to conceal their responsibilities for this mistake, or avoid the necessary renegotiation of the memorandum terms.

- What are the motives of those who continue the discussion about a consensus?

Not to correct the error, but to cover up the responsibilities of those who made it.

- Does the EU ask for your written consent on the 2nd memorandum? What is your answer to the Europeans?

I did not prevent the implementation of any policy, just pointed out the error that occurred. And I will continue to do so. The opposition’s job is not to endorse governmental policy, but to show a different way when government choices lead to deadlocks. This is required by the country's constitutional order and democracy in all countries. I will not negotiate or even discuss the constitutional system of my country. It is what it is and I abide by it.