PM Samaras: The coalition government will last out its remaining tenure

In a televised statement in the early hours of Friday, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said that the coalition government has a remaining tenure of three years, to be “exhausted to the benefit of Greek citizens.” The premier was speaking after a meeting of the three party leaders of the coalition government which failed to achieve a breakthrough in the issue relating to the closed-down state broadcaster ERT, following disagreement by Democratic Left (DIMAR) party leader Fotis Kouvelis. 

“Fotis Kouvelis distanced himself from the framework of the agreed solution,” Samaras said, adding that the DIMAR leader insisted on the reoperation of the (old) closed-down ERT.

Samaras stressed that a public television and radio will be operated and the “black” colour will be eliminated from television screens, but the government will not allow a return to the “sinful” past.

Samaras explained his stand on the issue of ERT, saying “the black screen will soon be gone and all the required staff will be re-employed in order to transmit regular programme of the state television.”

He stressed that the government will continue its work together with those who support it.

He further underlined that his focus ever since he assumed the premiership of the tripartite coalition government has been “to keep Greece within Europe and the euro, to restore its credibility abroad… and carry on reforms and ensure the conditions to bring about recovery promptly.”

He said that “better coordination” of the coalition government would be desirable, “but our goal is to complete the effort to rescue the country,” in a four-year tenure.

“We hope to continue to enjoy the support of the Democratic Left party”, he concluded.

Source: Athens News Agency