Opposition leader to SYRIZA govt: Country was in better shape before you took power

Main opposition leader New Democracy (ND) leader Vangelis Meimarakis, while mostly expressing a conciliatory tone, emphasised on Friday that the country was in a much better conditions six months ago, before a leftist SYRIZA government came to power.

We’re giving our authorization to the government to sign an agreement, Meimarakis said, in his first address as party leader since succeeding Antonis Samaras, who resigned last week to allow the former to serve as interim leader.

Meimarakis, a former parliament president and long-time ND cadre, said his conciliatory language was for the sake of the country’s continued presence in the EU and eurozone.
“The country was better two months ago, and definitely better in December 2014 when you (SYRIZA) led us to (snap) elections,” he charged.

In one of the more memorable addresses in recent times, centrist Potami leader stood before Parliament’s podium and in a laconic address said:

“People’s anxiety must end, together with divisiveness. Let us not delay any longer. Greece is determined to live and will live,” he said in repeating a well-known phrase by pre-eminent 19th century Greek statesman Charilaos Trikoupis.

“We’ll deal with the rest on Monday,” he said in a very brief but pointed address.