Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-06-15

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

CONTENTS

[01] Opinion polls on PASOK developments

[02] Tsipras criticizes PASOK

[03] FM honored by Paphos

[04] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] Opinion polls on PASOK developments

Regardless of how they appraised Papandreou's move -- positive or negative -- the after-effects are expected to strike a serious blow to PASOK, in the respondents' estimates.

According to a Public Issue opinion poll, the results of which appeared in the Sunday edition of Kathimerini newspaper, the PASOK rank and file appears completely divided following Papandreou's personal decision to 'expel' the former PASOK prime minister from the party's parliamentary group, while the majority of the ruling New Democracy (ND) party's voters responding in the poll felt that far from strengthening Papandreou's position in main opposition party, Papndreou's move weakened it, and 43 percent of them expressed concern that a break-up of PASOK was on the horizon.

Out of the total respondents, 32 percent saw the 'expulsion' as "probably a correct move", while 41 in 100 of the respondents identifying themselves as PASOK voters also called it 'a correct move' while another 41 in 100 criticised it as a "wrong move".

Regarding the consequences of the move as regards Papandreou's role in the party, 29 percent of the total respondents, and 33 percent of the PASOK voters among the respondents, felt that the party leader strengthened his position in the party, while 50 percent of the total respondents and of the PASOK voters felt that Papandreou's position has been weakened.

Division in PASOK was also indicated in the results of an ALCO opinion poll appearing in the Proto Thema weekly newspaper on Sunday.

Some 45.5 percent of PASOK voters responding in the poll felt that Papandreou's move was wrong, against 48 percent he felt it was the correct move. Also, 44.6 percent of the ND voters among the respondents criticised the move, while 41.8 percent condoned it. Further, 40,7 percent of the Left party voters responding in the poll considered Papandreou's move to be correct.

Regarding the impact on PASOK, 50.3 percent of the total respondents felt that the main opposition party was heading for partition, a view that was shared by 39.3 percent of the PASOK voters among the respondents.

A third opinion poll, conducted by MARC and appearing in the Sunday edition of Ethnos newspaper, also indicated division among the PASOK rank and file.

Papandreou's decision to seek Simitis' withdrawal from the PASOK parliamentary group was condoned by 48 percent of the PASOK voters among the respondents, against 44.8 percent who disagreed.

Public opinion in general, regardless of what party they vote for, was also split over Papandreou's move, with 48.3 percent in disagreement.

Finally, 43.2 percent of the PASOK voters among the respondents believe that PASOK will end up the loser from Papandreou's move, while 57.7 percent of the ND voters among the respondents felt that Papandreou should not have 'expelled' Simitis.

[02] Tsipras criticizes PASOK

He said that PASOK had invited SYN "to dinner", informing it that "the main course will be self-sufficiency".

"We;re not that hungry that we'll settle for the hors d'oeuvres or for the desert," Tsipras said, explaining: "Dialogue is not a bad thing, but it must habe a beginning, a middle and an end".

PASOK, he continued, must first decide to whom it was addressing iself, "and I mean to what party of the society, who they want to express, and then let them project this at political level".

"Anything else is governmentalist of the worst kind," Tsipras added.

Asked whether the "new crisis in PASOK" could boost the Left, Tsipras said he did not wish to involve himself in the internal affairs of another political party, adding, however, that "it is the crisis of the political system that is strengthening the Left".

He said that the SYN-led Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) parliamentary alliance was not only the most reliable opposition, but was also becoming the only, and credible, alternative solution.

[03] FM honored by Paphos

"We confer the due obligation to the (former) mayor and politician who is devoting all her strength to the effort for the resolution of our national problem," Paphos mayor S. Vergas said during a special ceremony.

Bakoyannis, in turn, pledged to devote all her power "to the service of this great struggle", adding that Greece and Cyprus have united their forces for a just and viable solution of the Cyprus problem.

The demolition of the "wall of shame" in Nicosia was everyone's cause. "We are waging the good battle, and the good battle will be one," Bakoyannis said.

Afterwards, a special ceremony was held at the port of Paphos during which the city was twinned with the port city of Chania, Crete. The ceremony was attended by the mayors of both cities.

Bakoyannis was due to leave Cyprus for Luxembourg on Sunday to attend a dinner of the European Peoples Party, and Monday's meeting of the EU Council of Foreign Ministers on General Affairs and External Relations.

The foreign ministers' agenda includes an evaluation of the Irish voters' rejection of the Lisbon Treaty in a referendum.

[04] Athens Newspaper Headlines

The aftermath of former prime minister Costas Simitis' expulsion from main opposition PASOK continued to figure on the front pages of Athens' newspapers on Sunday, together with the rise in inflation, the budget, and the Irish voters' rejection of the Lisbon Treaty in a referendum on Friday.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "Shock and awe in PASOK the morning after - Permanent divorce, or 'cohabitation agreement'?"

APOGEVMATINI: "High cost of living benefit, by order of Karamanlis - Heating benefit, via the Fund Against Poverty, will begin being allocated as of September".

AVGHI: "Inflation of the poor at 6.5 percent", saying that although inflation in Greece has hit 4.9 percent, for the poor households it is around 6.2 percent and more.

AVRIANI: "New political party in the making - Intense activity in the parliamentary group and among cadres" following Simitis' expulsion by Papandreou.

CHORA: "War on expensiveness and poverty - Package of measures from Karamanlis at the TIF" Thessaloniki International Fair in September, where the country's prime minister traditionally unveils the economic policy for the following year.

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Pangalos (long-standing, high-profile PASOK MP and former minister) volleys against Simitis and message to George (Papandreou) - Interview with the former minister: Why should the party always agree with Simitis?"

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "I, he and the (DVD) courier - Intervie with Evi Tsekou - The key figure in the Zachopoulos affair speaks out from Korydallos prison".

ETHNOS: "PASOK divided after Simitis' 'expulsion' ".

KATHIMERINI: "Simitis' expulsion divides PASOK - Public Issue opinion poll - Papandreou determined for more expulsions".

LOGOS: "It's burning the bridges with its old self - PASOK in turmoil".

PROTO THEMA: "George's appetite has been whetted - He'll oust everyone who speaks, who thinks - The 'death row' black list".

RIZOSPASTIS: "We demand referendum, now, against the Eurotreaty and the Euro-Union - We take strength from the 'NO' of the Irish people".

TO VIMA: "PASOK's drama - The entire behind-the-scenes - Simitis' expulsion opened up Pandora's Box".

VRADYNI: "PASOK collapsing, Karamanlis sovereign - PASOK rank and file divided in two due to Simitis' expulsion".

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