Samaras, Venizelos Join Hands Against Troika

After meeting yet again, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, the New Democracy Conservative leader, and his coalition partner and Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos, agreed there would be no further austerity measures and presented a unified front in negotiations with the country’s international lenders who are demanding more reforms.
With envoys from the Troika of the European Union-International Monetary Fund-European Central Bank (EU-IMF-ECB) in Athens to check the books and press for implementation of long-delayed privatization, stepped-up tax collections and worker firings, Samaras and Venizelos said they agreed with each other that the talks need to be completed quickly.
Greece needs an okay from the Troika before getting its next installment, this one for one billion euros ($1.37 billion) although the two sides have generally conducted negotiations in which Greece puts up resistance after Troika warnings to withhold funding, and then relents to get the money.
Venizelos reiterated that he believes, however, the government could save the Hellenic Defence Systems by streamlining the operation instead of shutting it down as the Troika wants to do for the Hellenic Vehicle Industry, the country’s other defence company.
They also discussed a contentious property tax bill that will fold in a huge surcharge that was imposed by Venizelos in 2011 when he was finance minister in a previous PASOK government. The measure has drawn fire from MP’s in both ruling parties who don’t want it applied so strictly to farming operations and have other complaints.