Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Greeks Said to Pick New Leader, but Talks Hit Hurdles

New York Times
November 8, 2011

Lucas Papademos, a respected economist, seemed on the verge Tuesday night of being named Greece’s next prime minister, Greek news outlets reported, but party leaders were still engaged in a bitter and drawn-out fight over the makeup of his cabinet.

By late afternoon, Greece seemed to face yet a new set of troubles as Antonis Samaras, the leader of the main opposition party, New Democracy, balked at a demand by Eurogroup, the European Union’s group of finance ministers, that several top Greek leaders give a written commitment to the terms of an expanded bailout hammered out with Europe’s leaders last month.

“There is such a thing as national dignity,” Mr. Samaras said in a statement. “I have repeatedly explained that in order to protect the Greek economy and the euro, the implementation of the Oct. 26 agreement is inevitable.”

He added, “I won’t allow anyone to question the statements I have made.”

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