PASOK leader draws line under past

Page last updated at 03:29 GMT, Thursday, April 19, 2012 - 08:29 EST

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eKathimerini:

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Distancing himself from former Prime Minister George Papandreou and attacking New Democracy rival Antonis Samaras, PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos pledged on Wednesday to improve liquidity for struggling businesses after the May 6 elections.

Speaking to Mega TV, Venizelos said that as defense minister in Papandreou’s government in late 2009 and 2010, he opposed the decision to appeal to the International Monetary Fund for emergency loans. Venizelos said he felt the government should have drawn up its own measures to counter the country’s debt problem. However, he said that in stepping down as prime minister and PASOK chief, Papandreou displayed “unprecedented” responsibility.

Venizelos also accused Samaras, who he is trailing in the polls, of being fixated on becoming premier. “I do not feel that history owes it to me to make me prime minister,” he said.

Read the whole story: eKathimerini

Watch from MEGA (in Greek) Η συνέντευξη του Βαγγέλη Βενιζέλου στο Mega

Comments

mistake

April 19, 2012 by tieyetos (Canada ), 1 year 4 weeks ago

as always greeks will make the wrong choice.

Oh no you don't!

April 19, 2012 by Irlandos (United Kingdom ), 1 year 4 weeks ago

Is Evangelos trying to get us to believe that he would have chosen a different path from Papandreou's slide into an endless austerity?

I seem to remember that Evangelos criticised Papandreou for even trying to give the people a choice on the matter in a referendum! And afterwards, there he was in a central role of the sell-out government of Papademos...

I only hope the Greek people don't buy his latest story and give him his just desserts on election day!

Re: Oh no you don't!

April 20, 2012 by Freethinker (United States ), 1 year 4 weeks ago

@Irlandos:
I hope for the same. He lies. He'll say anything to garner support, even if it means lying through his teeth, insulting the intelligence of anyone with half a brain, presenting himself as the coming savior of Greece who'll stand up to the banks and deliver Greece from its current predicament whilst at the same time being the one who helps the bankers do their dirty work for them the most. The man is ruthless and the only thing the Greek people can look forward to should he remain in office is watching in horror as Greece's vital assets continue to be sold off to foreigners and more austerity measures continue to be imposed while the public good and will of the people remain ignored.