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Greece - Eurozone

Pasok MPs desert Papandreou ahead of Greek confidence vote

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou’s government may not survive a confidence vote Friday thanks to three ruling party MPs who have said they will abstain. And French President Nicolas Sarkozy told Papandreou that his country will not get “one more cent” of aid until he has won the referendum he plans to hold in December.

Reuters/Yves Herman
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Papandreou called an emergency meeting of the parliamentary group of his Pasok party on Thursday after two MPs announced that they would not back the government in Friday’s confidence vote.

That would reduce the number of votes Pasok is likely to muster to less than half the number of MPs, leaving the result dependent on how many MPs turn up for the vote and how those who do turn up cast their ballots.

Adding to Papandreou’s woes, four ministers, including Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos and Development Minister Michalis Chryssohoidis, have both publicly opposed the referendum call, which has thrown the eurozone into new turmoil.

And, ahead of the G20 meeting in the French Riviera resort of Cannes, Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel told the Greek PM that he would not get any bailout money until the uncertainty raised by his referendum has ended.

Bowing to their order to hold it as soon as possible, Papandreou announced that the vote will be held on 4 December.

“It is about whether we want to stay in the eurozone or not,” he said, again responding to pressure from Sarkozy and Merkel.

European equities and the euro sank Thursday on fears that Greece will leave the euro.

RFI/Anthony Terrade

 

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