Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 15-01-24

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM Samaras convenes meeting to discuss Monday's Eurogroup

[02] SYRIZA's Tsipras meets with journalists in Athens restaurant

[03] Party leaders wrap up campaigns ahead of election Sunday

[04] Xiros attacked by fellow-inmate in Domokos prison

[01] PM Samaras convenes meeting to discuss Monday's Eurogroup

Earlier, the prime minister appeared confident about the elections result during his visit to the ND campaign office in Syntagma Square, just hours before polling stations were due to open.

Samaras spoke with voters and members of the party, stressing that ND was doing well and that 'undecided' 14 pct of the electorate "are with us". There was also keen interest on the part of the foreign media and Samaras had many questions put to him by foreign journalists.

On Sunday, the prime minister will travel to Messinia in order to vote in his home town of Pylos.

[02] SYRIZA's Tsipras meets with journalists in Athens restaurant

Tsipras said that he had carried out 11 tours in towns and rural areas throughout Greece over the last 15 days and had everywhere come across an upbeat climate, noting that this was the big difference with the elections in 2012 - that people were going to the polls feeling happy.

He reported talking on the telephone with European Parliament President Martin Schulz earlier the same morning and again declined to open his cards regarding SYRIZA's candidate for the Greek presidency, replying with a quip from Greek leftist politician Harilaos Florakis that "the best decisions are taken lying on your pillow".

Asked if he will ever wear a tie, he joked that he would wear one "when a debt haircut is achieved."

[03] Party leaders wrap up campaigns ahead of election Sunday

Prime Minister and New Democracy President Antonis Samaras visited the ND campaign office in Syntagma on Saturday and appeared confident that the election result will favour his party, suggesting that the 14 pct of the electorate that has not revealed its intentions in opinion polls would finally back ND.

Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) leader Alexis Tsipras started off his day in the city of Chania on Crete, wrapping up a tour of the island by taking a stroll in the city's municipal market and talking to people, accompanied by SYRIZA parliamentary candidates and local party functionaries. He then returned to Athens for an informal discussion with Greek and foreign journalists in an Athens restaurant in the afternoon.

The head of To Potami, business owner and TV journalist Stavros Theodorakis, started off his day by visiting Potami's campaign offices in Athens and Piraeus, accompanied by aides and party candidates, taking in the suburbs of Holargos, Maroussi, Nea Ionia and Kifissia and then heading south to Nikea, Korydallos and Ilioupolis before catching a flight to Chania, where he will cast his vote.

PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos was already in his native Thessaloniki on Saturday, where he also had an informal talk with PASOK candidates, party officials and the journalists covering his campaign in a restaurant in the city's Ladadika district.

Communist Party of Greece (KKE) General Secretary Dimitris Koutsoumbas visited the party's campaign office in the Athens district of Kaisariani, where he was received by the local mayor, party supporters and party candidates. Among those present was the Greek popular music singer Giorgos Margaritis, who spoke with him briefly.

Independent Greeks (ANEL) leader Panos Kammenos, who is a candidate in both Athens and the Dodecanese islands, spent the day on the islands of Kalymnos and Kos, where he spoke with local residents in the central markets. On Sunday morning Kammenos is due to arrive at the 138th election constituency on the island of Nisyros, where he is registered to vote, at 9:30 in order to cast his ballot.

Democratic Left (DIM.AR) President Fotis Kouvelis, who is joint head of the Greens-Democratic Left alliance ballot, also chose to spend the day with the journalists covering his campaign tour, for whom he hosted a meal at a taverna in the Metaxourgio district in Athens.

[04] Xiros attacked by fellow-inmate in Domokos prison

Xiros, who was hit in the face and sustained minor injuries, was taken to the prison infirmary and given first aid. He has asked for protection in order to avert potential further attacks against him.

A convicted member of the notorious terrorist group November 17, for which he is serving multiple life sentences, Xiros was recaptured and returned to prison on January 3 after spending roughly a year as a fugitive, following his failure to return to Korydallos prison from scheduled furlough on January 6, 2014.

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