Government and opposition agree on Papakonstantinou’s liability

The investigation of liability surrounding the management of the Lagarde list has lead to a major political confrontation between the coalition government and the opposition parties.

 

The three parties in the coalition believe that the preliminary committee should focus on the responsibilities of former Finance minister Yorgos Papakonstantinou, who was the first to receive and conceal the list that included the names of his relatives. There is a clear intention to leave Evangelos Venizelos out of the frame, Papakonstantinou’s successor in the Finance ministry, out of the frame.

 

Venizelos’ inclusion in the frame will threaten the stability of the government "at a time when governmental unity is necessary and the three parties have found their stride", as the prime minister said in his New Year's message.

 

The government's credibility at home and abroad is essential. Political instability or intensity of social controversy will only bring obstacles in its planning. If Venizelos is eventually left out of the investigation like former prime minister Yorgos Papandreou, it is doubtful whether the public will be satisfied that this process will be a punishment for those responsible or just one more political cover-up. Then again, if the former PM does get included in the preliminary investigation, this will definitely trigger excluded reactions from within PASOK.

 

But while all parties in the coalition government and the opposition agreed on Papakonstantinou being referred to the committee, the differences begin thereafter. SYRIZA believes that Venizelos should be impeached and blames the former prime minister and Yannis Stournaras as well.

 

The party’s announcement yesterday is characteristic of its intentions:

 

 

Finance minister Stournaras said that "if SYRIZA wants to put me in the liability frame they may as well do so. I have done my duty, I brought the Lagarde list and not someone else, and in record time too with immediate procedures".

 

Government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou talked about frustration on Koumoundourou’s part due to the "delayed reaction of the appropriate parliamentary address regarding the Lagarde list. But it is inappropriate for frustration to lead to the full leveling of basic rules of law. Political adventurism has its limits". The Independent Greeks and Golden Dawn have already asked for the investigation into Venizelos and Papandreou’s liability.