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Wednesday, 4 December 2024 | ||
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Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-10-04Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Papandreou resumes sharp attack on gov't; targets budget, EU-Turkey talksMain opposition PASOK leader George Papandreou on Tuesday returned with the latest in a series of sharp attacks against the government, this time from Parliament, where he addressed his partyâs Parliamentary group.Papandreou, who was foreign minister in the previous Simitis government, mostly centred his criticism on the recently revealed draft budget for 2005 and Athensâ response to Turkeyâs European prospects and the start of EU-Turkey accession negotiations. The PASOK leader said the 2005 budget was an unfounded document, since the price of oil, interest rates and government plans for the securitisation of debt were all ?up in the air?. Along those lines, he said it was premature to bank on the EU Commission's approval of the securitisation plan, while again charging that the governmentâs economic policy benefited the few and harmed the many. Regarding the last-minute deal on Monday allowing the commencement of EU-Turkey accession talks on the October 3 starting date, Papandreou included criticisms of Athensâ role in the negotiation process, or, as he charged, Greeceâs lack of substantive involvement. Nevertheless, he defended his governmentâs role in developing the ?Helsinki criteria? applied to Turkeyâs EU prospects, while again saying PASOK supports the neighboring countryâs European orientation. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |