Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-04-19

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

CONTENTS

[01] Papandreou attacks government

[01] Papandreou attacks government

In particular, he focused on the resignation of Special Audits Service chief Spyros Kladas, saying it was the result of a clash of interests with the ruling New Democracy party.

"It is intolerable that the productive forces of the country should be trapped in an outlook of cronyism and corruption, something that we have been seeing constantly in the past months, even in the internal clashes within ND such as the most recent between Kladas and Alogoskoufis. Internal clashes between powerful interests and their representatives that are in ND," he said.

PASOK's president additional criticised the government for allowing the acquisition of a large share of Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE) by Deutsche Telekom, suggesting that the plan to sell off the state-run utility went back several years and pointing out that none of the other 15 original EU members had allowed their national phone utility to be taken over and that all retained some form of state control.

Papandreou described PASOK as a "force for responsibility" and stressed his stance to the issue of the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), saying that he had given three clear messages to UN mediator Matthew Nimetz during their meeting:

"First of all, that we support the process of negotiations but always and only in the framework of the United Nations, secondly that we have set down a 'red line' that has been adopted by the majority of the Greek people and that, thirdly, that he [Nimetz] must show an objective attitude toward Greek positions and sensitivities."

He also sent a message to young people in FYROM, saying that the final outcome should not yield winners and losers but two winners and that the "best allies in this story are not some major powers, or even Brussels, but the people themselves and especially the younger generation of Greece and FYROM".

Finally, PASOK's leader referred to the need to support state universities, outlined proposals for young graduates and unemployment and spoke about high prices and the environment.

Caption: Main opposition PASOK leader George Papandreou addressed a meeting of the Central Organising Committee for the PASOK-affiliated student faction PASP on Saturday. ANA-MPA - Pantelis Saitas.

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