In a statement, main opposition New Democracy spokesman Yiannis Michelakis said that"Mr. Papandreou first admitted that he cannot govern." Then he baptized the inability as a "reshuffle". The removal of Giorgos Papaconstantinou from the post of finance minister was an admission by the government that its economic policy had failed.
ND also considers as an "admission of organisational inability" the creation of an inner cabinet in which only half the ministers are participating, with the purpose of coordinating the other half of the ministers and in which, for the first time, the defence and foreign ministers will not be taking part. "Everyone can make their own conclusions on the expediency of the composition of such an inner cabinet," the ND spokesman continued. Michelakis further warned that the dissolution of the two main industries of the Greek economy, tourism and shipping, is being continued, with shipping going back and forth from ministry to ministry.
The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) described the new Cabinet arising earlier from a government reshuffle, as a "government dangerous to the people, for the passing of the new barbarous measures and preparation of the government's more apparent collaboration with the parties of the plutocracy". "The parties of the system do not change by changing faces. They only become worse for the people," it added.
The Popular Orthodox Rally (Laos) party, said that "from an ecumenical government (being sought) we ended up with a government of the 'deep' PASOK", adding that "Greece missed a golden opportunity, because some sides did not manage the issue well, or did not want to".
The Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) stressed that it was of absolutely no importance who will implement the most unjust and anti-social policy of the last decades, when the issue was its full reversal. It added that the ease with which the government and main opposition party exchange accusations and invitations for a joint "national" effort underlines how similar their policies are and how hypocritical their stance is towards the Greek people. "PASOK and ND are part of the established vicious political system of the last decades, which is completing its circle," SYRIZA said.
The non-parliamentary Democratic Left party said that with the policy that the government has been implementing over the past 20 months, the country and society are facing the immediate danger of collapse. The content of this policy must change, it stressed, adding that the only thing that the Cabinet reshuffle can accomplish is a temporary beautification of the picture, but which will not endure.
Non-parliamentary Democratic Alliance press spokesman Yiannis Economou said that the reshuffle was the outcome of Papandreou's effort to "survive in his parliamentary group". The result, he added, was an "electoral government of transfers and balances".
Source: (ANA)