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2013 brings political reshuffles and new parties

17 December 2012 / 12:12:10  GRReporter
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The big tranche of 52.4 billion euro created conditions for the normalisation of the Greek economy. At the same time, it is not clear whether the political system will be able to take advantage of these new conditions. Currently, society perceives participants in parties as "so worn out" that it is not excluded that the parties’ management will take extreme measures, including "deprivation" even at the highest levels of the party hierarchy.

On the other hand, the political processes are so vehement that there is virtually no obstacle to the disintegration and merger of parties. The reason lies in the fact that, over the past three years, political confrontation was not based on ideology, but on the Memorandum – anti-Memorandum dilemma. The political climate is favourable for major castling on the chessboard, and not for the protective actions of that part of the political spectrum which picked up and is still bearing the burden of the crisis.

Thus, a change is surely to be seen in the political agenda in 2013. The first task will be to change the law for the elections, revise the Constitution and fight against corruption. Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is in a stronger position and will focus his efforts on extracting political dividends from the allocation of the tranche, in order to trigger as many movements as possible in the centre-right space. Events in the Independent Greeks party support this perspective. In parallel, the likelihood of early elections is receding, since it is perceived as "a totally irresponsible action."

The task of the Prime Minister will not be easy and a lot of compromises will be needed. Lawmakers who left New Democracy in February have not given up their position against the Memorandum yet. Their colleagues who stayed, but do not favour a change in the course of the party, are also quite numerous. However, more and more dead-end positions are forming in the "anti-Memorandum" front, which is not suggesting any perspectives for the future: It involves various forces that have no convincing alternatives for an exit from the crisis.

Deputies who are willing to return to New Democracy will be able to prove it with their positive vote on the ratification of the government’s legislative acts no later than the end of February 2013, or even sooner - during the vote on the tax bill.

Discussions in this regard are already underway, although a new party formation is not excluded – a new party which will occupy the space between New Democracy and Golden Dawn. But the collapse of the Independent Greeks party will affect the correlations in nearly all political spaces. According to sources, MP Notis Marias has contacts with SYRIZA as a continuation of his past relations with representatives of the radical Left.

According to commentators, the big question is whether Antonis Samaras will be able to attract PASOK representatives to New Democracy as well, in order to strengthen the party's centrist wing. The presence of Yiannis Stournaras in the government team is the first step, but at least for now the Prime Minister's relations with PASOK are strained and he hasn't shown his intentions yet.

Disintegration may already be noticed among the "Green". Former Minister Michalis Chrysohoidis seems most willing to participate in the establishment of a broad European front. He has not left PASOK, but believes that party leader Evangelos Venizelos's policy is wrong, and Andreas Loverdos announced his intention to turn the newly established political movement named RIKKSY into a party.

In turn, PASOK is determined to change a lot of things in the work of the Cabinet, which has recently been criticised on various issues: from the tax bill and shops' working hours, to the measures for over-indebted households. Of course, party members did not explain why they hadn't taken care of these during their government term which ended a few months ago.

Evangelos Venizelos favours the fulfilment of the 4-year government term, but on the other hand, he does not seem ready to include PASOK members in the government. The same goes for his participation in the government, too. According to sources, in the next period, he will focus on strengthening the party ranks, including the return of disaffiliated MPs.

Processes in the centre-left area are also intense. In January, the creation of a forum with the participation of this political space supporters is expected to be announced. It is not only politicians, but also businesspeople, scientists, artists and others. PASOK seems more willing to participate in the new initiative, while the Democratic Left is more reserved. However, there is no discussion about the proposal for disintegration of PASOK and the Democratic Left and their unification into a joint political formation.

According to sources, former Prime Minister Lucas Papademos, former Ministers Tassos Yanitsis and Alekos Papadopoulos, as well as banker and almost Finance Minister Vassilis Rapanos, are closely following the discussions in the centre-left space. Various circles are commenting the possibility for the implementation of Mario Monti's Italian model in Greece, with Prime Minister Lucas Papademos or Functionary Prime Minister Panagiotis Pikramenos.

Commentators argue that it is possible that these discussions gain dynamics, since an increasing number of politicians are joining forces with Lucas Papademos. These interlocutors of Papademos said that, under certain circumstances, he would reject such a perspective.

Tags: Policy parties Memorandum ideologies
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