Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-12-12

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Papandreou slams government credibility

[01] Papandreou slams government credibility

Speaking at a Foreign Press Association of Greece luncheon, the former foreign minister said the current Karamanlis government's "untrustworthiness" is demonstrated by the fact that it has not fulfilled its pre-election promises since coming to government in March 2004, while charging that the government is also rudderless.

In answer to several topical questions, he said a high-profile draft bill being forcefully promoted by the government to reform and restructure various state-run utilities is not a reform but only part of cursory measures. Additionally, he said the ND government's reforms so far have failed, while adding that the reform packages disrupt labour relations.

He again referred to what he called a "Scandinavian model" for state sector enterprises, saying he's in favour of both "flexibility and security", whereas whatever changes must be implemented with negotiations.

The government recently unveiled a draft bill that, among others, ends civil servant-like tenure for new hirings at state-run utilities (telephony, power, water etc.) that are both listed and not listed on the bourse.

In response to a bevy of questions involving church-state relations, Papandreou said each side's role should be distinct, whereas his PASOK party will soon be in a position to table proposals delineating each side's role. Along those lines, he again expressed his opposition to a recent decision upgrading church-run tertiary education institutions.

Meanwhile, asked about his party's position regarding the prospects of allowing the marriage of gays in the country -- an idea that has generated a caustic reaction by the Church of Greece -- Papandreou said PASOK is studying a proposal for a future "cohabitation pact" that will relate to heterosexuals as well as homosexuals.

Asked about recent high-profile statements over his party's "renewal" -- a phrase initially inferred as affecting a handful of top PASOK cadres that held top ministerial positions in the previous Simitis governments - Papandreou said every cadre is judged by his political presence. He added that PASOK, in government between 1981-1989 and 1993-2004, has proceeded with more radical internal changes than the ND government has made during its 11 years as the main opposition.

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