Message with many recepients…
The article of the three ministers creates new standards in the government and PASOK. Andreas Loverdos, John Ragousis and Anna Diamantopoulou stepped up, not just to be seen by the people but also to send a message to political rivals and to MPs that are looking for support. The three ministers sent a message insisting on reforms in society against those who delay, thus increasing the debt each day.
They have adopted a different position from their colleagues within PASOK such as Dimitris Reppas and Christos Papoutsis, who are handling the reactions with hesitation. While the article does not contain comments against Papandreou and Venizelos, it is evident that the three ministers have marked the summit of October 23 as their time limit, not revealing their stance thereafter.
Their move divided the members of PASOK. Some were excited as they were given a potential political reference. But others saw it merely as an attempt to open up the discussion on the post-Papandreou era and remove Venizelos from the race. "The game is played on the economy chessboard and not the party", say those who move along the same lines.
As for the three signatories, their angle is that their concerns have just coincided and that they are not forming a new group. They added that they would not have proceeded if they didn’t have the PM’s OK, as they are ministers of his government. Of course, they admit that since three members are coinciding they obviously represent a trend relating both to members and citizens, who want to conclude the changes quickly.
Regarding official reactions, Papandreou briefed his colleagues that he knew about this and instructed them to refrain from commenting. Instead of polarization or silence, Venizelos chose the middle road; to share the anxiety of the three to proceed with the reforms.
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