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Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 15-07-20
CONTENTS
[01] No plans for early elections at this time, Gerovasili tells ANA-MPA
[02] The government priority is the completion of the programme, State
Min Pappas says
[01] No plans for early elections at this time, Gerovasili tells ANA-MPA
ANA-MPA -- The government has no plans for a snap general election in
the near future, the new deputy press minister and government spokeswoman
Olga Gerovasili said on Monday, in an interview with ANA-MPA.
"Elections are not useful at this time and are not among the government's
intentions," she said, predicting that more than 120 [government] MPs
will vote in favour of the prior actions that Greece needs to pass on
Wednesday for the 3rd bailout to proceed. "The issue for us is to not
lose sight of the aim; it is self-evident that if two different paths
continue to be followed, these paths will be divergent and not convergent
if this goes on," she said. Noting that the situation remains extremely
changeable and fluid, Gerovasili said that elections would not help
anything at this time. She also noted that SYRIZA's Parliamentary group
had found itself facing a very harsh dilemma and the reactions were to
some degree natural, "possibly because some do not appreciate to the same
extent [what is] immediate and necessary and urgent." The spokeswoman
suggested that the days that had since intervened will have helped make
the urgency of the matter more apparent, as well as helping MPs overcome
the initial shock. "I believe that there is political maturity among
the majority, at least, and this was reflected in the first vote also -
I think it will be reflected now, as well. What we had to do was turn
aside just before the edge of the cliff and that is exactly what we
did. On the other side lay grexit and disorderly default with all that
means, which I think would not be manageable," Gerovasili said.
[02] The government priority is the completion of the programme, State
Min Pappas says
"SYRIZA's principles do not include a change of currency a la Schaeuble
or memoranda of the drachma," State Minister Nikos Pappas on Monday
said in an interview with "Efimerida ton Syntakton," adding that "the
prime minister will be the last one to choose the split."
Asked whether the unity and common path can be ensured when a wing of
the party openly advocates the drachma, the State Minister replied:
"The permanent rejection is incompatible with the common path. This is
understood by all."
He noted that "the government's priority is no other than the completion
of the agreement as soon as possible and added: "The government has
exhausted the limits of negotiation, the mandate and strength of the
people. Our priority is to limit the adverse effects of the agreement. It
is to protect the weak. It is the opening of a European debate on the
effectiveness of these programmes. As for the elections, it is reasonable
for such scenarios to exist when so many deputies of the majority voted
against the agreement. So do not expect to abate."
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