Greece’s Samaras Says Negotiations Minimized Cuts to Pensions
February 09, 2012, 4:53 PM ESTBy Eleni Chrepa and Christos Ziotis
Feb. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Greece’s New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras said his party’s negotiations with the troika yesterday resulted in smaller pension cuts.
“Our debt has now become sustainable,” Samaras said in comments televised live on state-run NET TV today. “We might have avoided the worst, but some could not be avoided.”
Samaras said his party fought to avert “more austerity, more unemployment and more misery for Greeks.” He said the pension cuts agreed to with the troika were half of what were initially sought.
“The struggle we give for our country relates to all of Europe”, Samaras said. “We must show that what is happening to Greece will spill over to Europe if we don’t avoid one-sided and rentless austerity.”
Samaras, whose party is backing Prime Minister’s Lucas Papademos interim government said Greece needs national elections now more than ever.
To contact the reporter on this story: Eleni Chrepa in Athens at echrepa@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Tom Stoukas at astoukas@bloomberg.net
