Samaras Meets With Venizelos, Kouvelis To Discuss ERT

The main topic at this afternoon's meeting between the three coalition leaders is none other than ERT. Junior coalition partners Evangelos Venizelos, who heads PASOK, and Fotis Kouvelis, who heads DIMAR, met with Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras at 6 p.m. on Wednesday to discuss the issue in greater detail as a follow up to an earlier meeting that was held last Monday. As expected, main opposition leader Alexis Tsipras, who leads the SYRIZA party, also was expected to visit ERT’s headquarters in Aghia Paraskevi, taking well advantage of the situation (and the open cameras to win over more impressions and potential voters).

Press reports claim that both Venizelos and Kouvelis are going to maintain a common stance in regards to the issue of ERT. A subsequent ruling by the country's Council of State stating that the government had the right to close the national radio and television network but not to cut the broadcaster's signal was interpreted in different ways by every single Greek political party. The point being, the firings are completely legal, but ERT has to continue to broadcast (probably with reruns) until a new, slimmed-down version could begin operating by the end of August.

Of course the government still has to convene and vote on this decision and both Kouvelis and Venizelos said specifically that they would withhold their parties’ crucial votes when Samaras’ decision to close ERT goes to Parliament.

Some reports even said that Samaras is going to rehire all the 2,656 fired ERT workers – but only on a two months basis – or until the new company titled NERIT is up and running. Other reports claim that DIMAR is going to exit the ruling coalition, and the government will be left with 153 deputies. (125 from New Democracy and 28 from PASOK). (But again, these are just rumors because DIMAR might continue to support the coalition government). If this does happen then the new coalition will have to win a vote of confidence from the Greek Parliament, and if it does not gain a vote of confidence then Greece will be forced to hold national elections.

(Of course all these scenarios are highly unlikely, because if Samaras shows any type of weakness and/or backs down from his decision, then what will happen when he begins to touch the other cancers: Namely OPAP, and DEH. As for walking political zombies Kouvelis and Venizelos, their run in politics has already died.)