Talk about an electric -and eye-opening interview- on today's news show with host Popi Tsapanidou. Her guest Minister of Environment and former finance minister George Papakostantinoy could not get a word in edgewise, she was on to him from the very first minute. Asked how he felt when people ask him about the memorandums, Papakostantinoy said that he does not regret signing the agreements because Greece did not have any other alternatives at the time. He said that he wished reforms could have been implemented sooner, and he defended the government of George Papandreou saying that some of the toughest legislation to date was implemented under his term as finance minister.
Asked why Papandreou's gov't did not accept the loan that was offered to Greece prior to the memorandums, and that would have blocked Greece from entering the IMF, Papakostantinoy first denied it and then he said that the state could not do that because it would have shown the world markets that we were desperate for funds, while he defended his characterization of the Greek economy as being a sinking "Titanic".
When Tsapanidoy insisted noting that this particular decision led Greece to the IMF and is today being looked at as being suspicious by key officials (and even being termed as treason by some politicians), Papakostantinoy defending his policies once again said that "treason would have been committed if he had allowed Greece to suffer bankruptcy". He added that this would have had serious repercussions on Greece's ability to import fuel, pharmaceuticals, etc.
Editor's Note - Simberasma - Kalitera na masas... para na milas - Please don't ask us for the translation
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