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The leadership of New Democracy is trying to smooth the relations between lawmakers before the vote on the 13.5 billion euro measure package next Wednesday.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, who entered a series of critical ten days, crucial for the future of the country, convened a meeting of the parliamentary group of the "blue" party on Sunday afternoon in an attempt to unite the deputies. In parallel, the desire of the leadership is gor last February's events not to be repeated. Then, at the vote on the second Memorandum, 20 deputies deviated from the official line and voted against it and left the group. Half of them joined the party Independent Greeks. Antonis Samaras will try to unite lawmakers in a moment in which journalist and political offices are discussing scenarios for the creation of a new political organization - People's Right - which will include staff from New Democracy and Independent Greeks. The Prime Minister will demand full support and will emphasize that this difficult package is Greece's admission to its future economic development. He will explain once more the need for support to the programme and the need for a message of hope to be sent, in an attempt to change the attitudes in society, stressing that this would be the last time such a package is being decided. At the meeting Samaras will point out the dilemma "measures or chaos" and will insist that the package of measures has to pass in parliament in order for 31.5 billion euro to be remitted. He will also talk about the prospects for economic recovery, if this funding for the country is provided. The Prime Minister will ask lawmakers to vote on the measures also emphasizing that New Democracy is now the main political power of stability and he will talk about the responsibility of all political parties. He will explain that there is no place for personal strategies, thus in practice imposing party discipline.

By late Friday it was not known whether lawmakers would also speak at the meeting. During such discussions many of them paint the situation in the party and in society as a whole in dark colours and stress that no more cuts can be borne. A lot of lawmakers, including newly elected ones, are not sure about the vote, although they are not expected to vote against.

Although there seemed to be no problems in New Democracy's parliamentary group at the vote last Wednesday, against the background of the disintegrated group of PASOK and the turmoil among the Democratic Left, the atmosphere among the members remains electrified. The situation in PASOK and in Democratic Left led to a change in the moods among some "blue" deputies, although they are determined to vote against.

The leadership of New Democracy believes that there will be no problems and they are constantly repeating the phrase "the parliamentary group of New Democracy is all fixed up." It is believed, however, that there are at least three people under suspicion of the contrary, something which has yet to be proven.

Personal contacts with deputies by the closest collaborators of Antonis Samaras, such as Dimitris Stamatis (Minister of State), Costas Bouras (Head of the Prime Minister's Office), parliament chairman Evangelos Meimarakis, secretaries Athanasios Bourass (of the parliamentary group) and Emmanouel Kefaloyiannis (of the party) as well as with parliamentary representative Makis Voridis, will continue until the last moment.  Initial contacts made it clear that a large group of deputies has objections to specific measures, however without going beyond the general framework set by the party leadership.