Samaras: Measures or chaos

The multi-bill will be filed in parliament tomorrow, Monday, to be voted on Wednesday evening, but the compromise efforts among government partners will continue until the last moment.
 
The Sunday developments and Samaras’ meetings with the government partners did not cover the distance created by the labour measures. Despite the PM's call to members of all parties in the coalition, after their meeting Fotis Kouvelis reiterated that his opposition to the labour issue remains and that he will vote "present." He clarified, however, that "we will remain in the government."

For Samaras the labour issue is not a matter of major importance since the disbursement of the tranche of 31.5 billion euros to keep the Greek economy alive is his top priority, and he highlights the devastating consequences of a possible vote against the measures.

Speaking to the ND parliamentary group on Sunday, he raised the dilemma which he will reiterate in his speech during the debate on the multi-bill. "The problem is not whether we will vote on this or that measure, but what will happen if the measures are not voted for in their entirety", implying that the government will collapse and the country will be delivered to pillage by the drachma lobby and an unconditional clash of the two extremes. He said that if the measures are voted for then, besides the 31.5 billion euros, he will seek more money from the EU to be allocated for the liquidity of the market and to create conditions for the recovery of the real economy.

Samaras reiterated that these measures will be the last and that "there will be no more cuts in wages and pensions." Evangelos Venizelos moved along the same lines and after the meeting with the prime minister, he said among other things that "we want DIMAR to remain in government." Kouvelis’ insistence, however, brought Samaras closer to Venizelos, fueling scenarios of a reshuffle with greater involvement of the PASOK president and members in the government.