Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 12-07-18
CONTENTS
[01] Coalition leaders agree; no further austerity cuts in 2012
[01] Coalition leaders agree; no further austerity cuts in 2012
AMNA/"The government is acting within the framework of the agreement of
the three political party leaders," government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou
said on Wednesday, following a meeting of the three party leaders
supporting Greece's coalition government at the prime minister's office.
Kedikoglou said the meeting between Prime Minister and New Democracy
leader Antonis Samaras with the heads of the two junior parties in the
coalition, PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos and Democratic Left (Dem.Ar)
leader Fotis Kouvelis was conducted in a friendly climate.
He said the government's concern was to promote growth and employment
while ensuring social cohesion and strengthening the country's position
abroad.
Asked whether there would be any further 'horizontal' cuts to pay and
pensions, he referred reporters to the statements made by Finance Minister
Yannis Stournaras, who also attended the meeting.
In statements afterward, Stournaras said the three party leaders had
agreed there should be no further austerity cuts in 2012, despite at
2.0-billion-euro 'hole' in the execution of the budget, and also reached
broad agreement on all the basic guidelines of policy.
This was also confirmed in separate statements by Venizelos and Kouvelis
to the press after the three-hour meeting.
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