Friday, September 9, 2011

Greek PM to give key speech amid hostility

Financial Times
September 9, 2011

The Greek prime minister will face a hostile audience on Saturday when he makes a key economic policy speech in the northern city of Thessaloniki after several days of turmoil on financial markets, and a controversial decision to sack thousands of public sector workers.

As recession bites deep in his crisis-hit country, George Papandreou is under mounting pressure. His Panhellenic Socialist Movement’s rating is slipping in opinion polls, some German politicians have called for Greece to exit the eurozone, and his finance minister was on Friday forced to dismiss market speculation that the country might default over the weekend.

Evangelos Venizelos called the rumours “a game in bad taste; an organised piece of speculation against the euro and the eurozone countries”. He insisted Greece would fully implement its economic reform programme agreed with the European Union and International Monetary Fund, “without taking into consideration any element of political cost”.

More

No comments: