The Greek government have undergone yet another trying weekend, this time facing an onslaught of criticism for reneging on pre-election promises.
There have been ‘intense attacks’ directed at Antonis Samaras coalition government all over the weekend.
Alexis Tsipras, leader of the main opposition party, commented on Saturday that ‘the privatisations, reductions in salaries and pensions, cutbacks in public expenditures that were not mentioned before the elections, are synonymous to the social and economic razing of the country – deepen the crisis and distance the country from the eurozone.’ These remarks, made at a gathering of the European Left Party, were the first of several accusatory statements made against the government.
Syriza and The Independent Greeks have been particularly vocal in expressing their indignation over ‘false promises’. It was particularly emphasised that Samaras went back on the promise to abolish a property surtax attached to electricity bills.
Yesterday party spokesman Christos Zois vocalised the opinion of the Independent Greeks when he stated that Samaras government had lied to voters and the result was deprivation for poorer households. Without Samaras making good on his promise, those who found themselves unable to pay both the electricity bill and the tax had their electricity cut.
Zois stated that ‘Antonis Samaras’s pre-election pledge to abolish the special surtax on property has been converted into a full implementation of the Venizelos decision […] The express commitment has been postponed to 2013. The citizens are financially squeezed dry and the public power corporation (DEH) is being devalued before it goes under the ‘hammer’.’
Zois went on to issue a reminder that the coalition government of Pasok, New Democracy and the Democratic Left had also failed to deliver on promises made to the public.
Syriza and the Independent Greeks released further statements on Sunday which argued that Samara’s government was no better than the failed governments that had come before. They declared that ‘The new reactionary measures planned by the governmental troika have nothing to do with either the infamous renegotiation or with growth and an exit from the crisis, or with all that the supporters of the memorandum announced prior to the elections to grab the vote of the Greek people.’
With the political upheaval continuing and the Euro dropping to its lowest level against the pound since November 2008, the Greek government really needs to stabilise if it is to ever make any significant progress in economic recovery.
