Samaras: "Co-governing out of the question"

Any discussion about co-governing was cut off by New Democracy President Antonis Samaras, as he launched an unprecedented attack on the Leftists, showing how things will proceed towards the elections, which he confirmed will take place soon after Easter.

“Today, a cycle that began last October closes and a new course begins, as everyone knows that the elections will take place after Easter. PASOK has lost its power and we are in a position to impose elections”, while he also described the PSI outcome as positive, since it gives the country time.

He described the co-governing scenarios as nonsense, and added that some people who claim it want to hurt the party. “We do not seek any kind of co-governing. I want to govern the country with a free hand, I want a strong mandate in order to save it and so that we can make the necessary decisions and have the necessary bargaining power abroad”, said Mr. Samaras, and added: Greece doesn’t have only a need of good management, but also of big change.

Continuing his argument, he said that “we are preparing a new polity and this requires self-reliance”. Replying to questions on a broader consensus, he stated: “We want to pursue national consultation with everyone else but national consultation is different from co-governing. With petty party haggling which sacrifices the national interest, Greece will not change”.

Mr. Samaras also said that he will establish a depopulated and flexible government scheme and that the cooperation of many smaller parties will stand as an obstacle against that. He reiterated his criticism against PASOK, stating that its members are to blame and it is difficult to have co-governing the day after the elections because of this.

Mr. Samaras defended his decision to join the coalition government and vote for the second Memorandum, stating that Greece “deflected the danger of leaving the Euro last October, after the horrid initiative of a referendum, and thus we made a decision to create the transitional Papademos government in order to achieve the haircut and then move to elecitons. Now the PSI is a success, a lot of things are yet to be done but the “cape” has been rounded”.

He unleashed an unprecedented attack on the left, stating that “it does not make any policy but is always preaching and prophesizing doom. Some of them want the euro during half the week and the rest of the week they don’t. They find themselves in despair. They never ruled the country but always supported its ills. They imposed rigidity on the markets and drove investment away, they supported masked perpetrators. They will know that they cannot just wag their fingers at us. We are declaring clearly to them that they are not above criticism”. He also stated that they are “incorrigible, because now that the country is trying to recover, they are fostering confusion and despair”.

Continuing, he said that his party has three priorities:

To restore injustices. Pensions were cut too far and we will restore them up to 700 euros, we have proposed measures for pension funds, we will restore their viability, as well as that of large family allowances.

Secondly, development: “we do not promise money which does not exist. Our main priority is recovery and development”. He stressed the need to ensure economic stimulation.

Thirdly, tackling illegal immigration “we must reclaim the Athens center and bring illegal trading to its knees”.

Mr. Samaras reiterated that he will unmask all those that hide behind hoods.

He stated that ND is the only strong party which can guarantee the country’s course. He returned to the issue of co-governing, stating that whoever wants to suggest it, wants to save PASOK.

-The country must be governed from the first moment.

- Restore social cohesion from day one. The Left does not want social cohesion

- Recovery should begin as soon as possible

- The country needs to get  a new political scene

The country needs these four things  urgently and only our party can offer them.

"The Greeks know what to choose, they want truth and hope and we should give them that. Either we will be saved together or perish together".

"Give me the strength to change Greece, with God's help we will win," said Mr. Samaras, concluding his speech amidst applause