Meimarakis tells SYRIZA govt: “We did not give you a blank checque!”

Opposition New Democracy party leader Vangelis Meimarakis addressed Greek Parliament on Friday during a debate on the omnibus draft bill on prior actions required for the release of bailout money for Greece.

“We will vote what doesn’t cause recession, whatever is in favor of the people’s interest, and we will vote against everything that is against growth and society,” he said, before turning to the government MPs. “We will not give you a blank cheque!”

He accused Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras of asking EU Commissioners and heads of state to pressure the opposition parties of Greece to vote on the prior actions during his meetings at the recent EU leaders summit.

Responding to the PM’s reference to the so-called Lagarde List, Meimarakis said that the SYRIZA was trying to scare the conservatives with ongoing tax audits, but noted that his party “is not afraid of anything”. He pointed to the assets statements of government ministers that handed in misleading wealth declarations to government auditors. “He decided everyone is innocent. How was he informed? Did he see what is missing from the statements?” he asked, underlining that he wants light to be shed on the matter.

Refering to the letter by Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias to the ultra-nationalist Golden Dawn party regarding the name dispute with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Meimarakis was critical. He described it as “dangerous”. He noted that there was no letter for New Democracy. “For us the only valid decision is the one that arose from the meeting of all political leaders chaired by the President. Don’t move an inch from that. These are dangerous games. We’ve discussed those issues, we’ve resolved them and you must remove them from the debate on the prior actions”.

Continuing on the issue of defence, he said it is an “equally dangerous game to patrol sea borders jointly with Turkey. That cannot happen.”