ND: "Papademos should be tough on the foreign front and not the domestic one"

Tomorrow afternoon, at 13:30 there will be a critical meeting convened between political leaders and the PM Mr. Lucas Papademos.

Throughout the week there have been lobbies of political leaders consulting with the PM on the package of measures required by the Troika to accompany the new loan agreement and the PSI.

However, the leak from Maximou Mansion states that if there is no agreement, Mr. Papademos will submit to the command he received, something which caused a sensation in New Democracy.

Party officials responded: “Mr. Papademos had to appear tough abroad during negotiations and not in his domestic affairs and against the Greek people”.

Syngrou Avenue is now examining the stance the party must maintain. It would be difficult for Mr. Samaras to reject the agreement and jeopardize the PSI and the new loan. On the other hand, it would be difficult to explain to voters and the party his full retreat on the “red lines” which he had supported.

The problem is not confined to supplementary pensions and wages but extends to the whole package requested by the partners and lenders which provides for new measures for the period of 2012-2015 and moves in an anti-growth orbit. It is clear that if he wins the election, Mr. Samaras will lead a coalition government and will have to manage an economy in recession without any financial tools and resources for development, while he will have had - in advance - committed to implementing all anti-growth measures.

In essence, during the first month he will have to implement stringent fiscal revenue-raising measures.