Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-12-31

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM sees escalating change in 2006

[02] Political wishes for the New Year

[01] PM sees escalating change in 2006

"I welcome the fact that a broad-based social alliance has been formed in support of change," Karamanlis said in a New Year message.

"2006 will be another decisive year, a year of escalation in change and reform, accompanied by the adoption in practice of these new policies," he noted.

The government would act boldly in effecting the overhaul in a bid to replace outmoded concepts and practices, avoiding both conservatism and populism. And emphasis would be given to revision of the constitution employing dialogue that would cut across party political lines.

"Our (overall) aim is to create a state that has economic clout combined with justice by respecting the public and ensuring its esteem," the premier said.

"We have made major progress in the mildest fashion possible in the battle for a reduction in deficits at a time when other countries with the same problems have been taking very tough measures," he noted.

Looking ahead, Karamanlis said that the country had secured the best funding possible under the European Union's budget for 2007-2013 totalling more than 20 billion euros; and terms of the bloc's common agricultural policy would remain in place until 2013.

Groundwork had been accomplished in 2005 that would act as a base for 2006.

"2005 will be remembered as a landmark year for major institutional reform. Bold changes everywhere, especially in the public sector, have meant a new start for the country," the prime minister said.

[02] Political wishes for the New Year

"It's a fact that things have changed globally. We find ourselves at a key turning point. But we can change the new situation into a comparative advantage," George Papandreou said in a New Year message.

"We can prepare Greek society for the new challenges. But vision is needed for that, appropriate policy and planning, and decisiveness is also required. The conditions are now ripe for us collectively to plan a leap into the future," he noted.

In a separate message, the Communist Party of Greece urged workers to free themselves from the grip of political parties backing the European Union, which it called "a one-way street."

"2006 can and must be a year of change in the balance of power in favour of the people's anti-imperialist movement on all levels," the statement said.

"It is in the hands of the working class and the people to make 2006 a year of mass disengagement from the one-way-street European parties, from the ideology of the plutocracy, from trade union leaders of consensus and subservience," it added.

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