Kaklamanis explains how he almost became Greek PM

PASOK veteran Apostolos Kaklamanis revealed in a statement on Friday that on November 8, 2011, he accepted an offer from then Prime Minister George Papandreou to become interim premier after the latter’s aborted effort to hold a referendum on Greece’s second bailout.

In the statement, Kaklamanis explained that he held brief talks with Papandreou before agreeing to take on the role.

Later the same day he met with New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras.

The conservative agreed that his party would support the interim administration and that some of its members would join the government.

The two men discussed who would take up the positions in the caretaker government.

However, that night Kaklamanis informed Papandreou that he would turn down his offer after failing to agree with Samaras on who would take up the ministerial positions.

Kaklamanis also said that up until that point ex-central banker Lucas Papademos, who eventually filled the role, had not been approached.

The Socialist politician said that only Panagiotis Roumeliotis, Greece’s representative at the International Monetary Fund, had been sounded out before him, but that Samaras had rejected his candidacy.