Sunday news items from Greece , ND rejects compromise of further coalition government ( especially with Pasok ) after the election - assuming one is held

http://www.athensnews.gr/portal/1/54747

Press Watch, April 8th

by Makis Papasimakopoulos 8 Apr 2012

file photo Oh me,oh my, the front pages seem to be taking a small break from the election hullabaloo and realising there are other things besides. Strange.   Tipos tis Kiriakis starts the day off with a slight bang, that bang being in the direction of Pasok, who are apparently still trying to find jobs and nifty positions for their own. Second in command at the ministry of energy Nikos Sifounakis, was very keen to land a friend of his on a very smart little job indeed, at least according to Tipos. He allegedly asked for a number of laws to be “bypassed” for his little job finding escapade, but I’m sure there are more out there practicing this than just Sifounakis. It’s the name of the game.   Avriani sees a healthy dose of doom ahead, their front page talking about a further 60% debt shaving and a relatively swift return to the drachma. Nothing like some good news to spice up a Sunday morning.   To Paron runs a headline which reads “George in a panic”, referring to their own story concerning former prime minister George Papandreou and his dealings with Goldman Sachs. The story has found Papandreou apparently dashing for cover, with current Pasok head Evangelos Venizelos apparently distancing himself from offering his former chief any form of support. If the rumours concerning their not-the-best-of-friends relationship are anything to go by, it’s not really that surprising.   Proto Thema goes back to the unregistered migrants issue, running a story about the fact that despite much publicised sweeps and big words, unregistered migrants are still entering the country at will. Just below that, their second main story informs us that due to the financial crisis, the Greek police is available for rent, apparently as a way to cover costs. So basically, you can rent a policeman to guard your house/dog/wife/kids/donut because the state doesn’t have enough coin. Fascinating. Getting back to the elections, To Vima runs a quote from current Pasok head Evangelos Venizelos who upon seeing the recent results of the latest election polls, according to which neither New Democracy nor Pasok can rule all on their lonesome, noted that “if the polls are right, we cannot be sure of where we are heading”. Because clearly Evangelos, up until now, we were so sure of that. If that wasn’t enough of a downer, Vima plops a decidedly sunny “Chaos scenarios after the elections” just above that. So that’s nice.   I Niki keeps it dark and gloomy for the post election scene, saying that one of the main reasons that the elections might be postponed, is the very clear and present fear of bankruptcy, that has been sulking around the land ever since the elections were announced. This of course won’t make Antonis Samaras very happy, seeing as he’s pretty certain he can save the land if he gets voted to power, but they can’t all be winners.   Espresso brings up the rear, with a story about an entrepreneur who decided that beyond being a successful businessman, he could also moonlight as a model. Yes, that’s the main story. and..... http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_15997_08/04/2012_437021 Samaras rejects compromise of coalition after elections In what was essentially his first election campaign speech, New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras rejected the idea of forming a coalition government with PASOK after the polls as new surveys showed a rise in support for the conservatives, who remain far short of the backing they need to form a one-party administration. “Greece can make it, we can do things differently,” said Samaras in a speech at an indoor arena in Egaleo, western Athens, on Saturday. Samaras said he would try to “untie” Greece from the difficult position it had been placed in by PASOK. In his speech, Samaras pledged to boost low pensions, create jobs and compensate retail bondholders who have lost money due to the country's debt restructuring plan, even though Greece’s eurozone partners have already indicated that they would block such an attempt. Much of the ND leader’s address, though, was allocated to attacks on PASOK, which Samaras indirectly accused of wanting to delay elections, which are likely to be held on May 6. “We got rid of George Papandreou, now we will get rid of PASOK,” Samaras told party supporters. “Three elements want a coalition: Firstly, PASOK itself. Secondly, all those interests that don’t want anything in Greece to change and thirdly, all those within the country and abroad who want tomorrow’s government to be weak and easily controlled. “We are asking for a clear mandate from the Greek people so we can change it all.” Support for ND and PASOK now reaches a combined 40 percent from 26 percent in February, according to an Alco survey for the Proto Thema newspaper. Backing for New Democracy had risen by nearly 6 percentage points over the past two months to 24 percent. However, the conservatives would need about 36 to 38 percent of the vote to have a chance of forming a government on their own. PASOK's ratings - boosted by the election of former finance minister Evangelos Venizelos as its new leader - now stand at 16 percent, or twice as much as the February reading, according to the poll.