Samaras: We will not return to solutions that have failed

After meeting with minister Y. Stournaras and the economic team, the prime minister left an open window for new measures that will be needed to save 11.5 billion euros.

Asked whether they are considering the measure of redundancy, staff cuts in the public sector and the retirement conditions, Antonis Samaras said merely that "we looked at all options."

Labour Minister Yiannis Vroutsis said that the participation of the Labour ministry remains at 5 billion euros and that they will not seek further cuts in benefits and pensions.

"We will not return to solutions that have failed in the past," the PM said earlier. "We seek the most effective cuts to reduce the deficit, the less painful ways for society. Our opponent is unemployment," he said addressing Yiannis Stournaras.

Commenting on Vroutsis' presence in the meeting today Samaras said, "it is characteristic. He is one of the few that has such a good view of the economy and has helped us with the cuts."

The focus of the meeting related to the measures of 11.5 billion euros and the issue of redundancy in the public sector, which is causing turmoil within the camp of the coalition government, as it appeared on Tuesday during the meeting of the three political leaders.

It should be noted that after his meeting with the president of the Republic, Stournaras said the issue of redundancy remained open, "because the numbers are not panning out." This caused tension later in the meeting of the political leaders, as Venizelos and Kouvelis stood against it. Reportedly, there was a conflict between Kouvelis and Stournaras on how the latter is announcing the measures of the package and particularly the issue of redundancy.