Samaras Not Planning To Back Down From Surplus Distribution

The government’s negotiations with the troika are slowly reaching a climax, and according to a report in the To Vima newspaper Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is steadfast in his decision to distribute the surplus to the various groups in need and not cave into their demands which are against this action.

It should be reiterated that Samaras has repeatedly promised that a significant portion of the surplus will be directed towards “restoring injustices” caused by the austerity policy enforced from the memorandums and reforms. Among these plans is granting various benefits to uniformed officers and pensioners (especially the first category since the cuts were judged unconstitutional from Greece's highest court).

A high-ranking Finance Ministry officer revealed that while the troika has agreed to invest some of the funds from the primary surplus in benefits, the surplus must primarily support growth in the economy.