Former minister and PASOK MP Giorgos Lianis quit the party on Tuesday in protest at the midterm fiscal plan the government is due to submit to Parliament, thereby reducing the ruling Socialists’.
In his resignation letter addressed to the Speaker of the Parliament and to Prime Minister George Papandreou, Lianis stresses that he does not believe anymore in the government’s economic policy and that “we [the government] have failed and we are forced to hide the truth from the people”.
Former sports minister Giorgos Lianis will retain his seat as an independent in the 300-member parliament, according to the governing PASOK party, which now controls 155 seats — a majority of five.
Earlier Tuesday, another PASOK deputy said he would oppose the new austerity plan, which several others have strongly criticized.
“I have made my decision,” Alexandros Athanassiadis said. “I cannot vote for the midterm plan that will change things in my country in such a way.”
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