Samaras and Tsipras to meet Greek president in separate talks

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras are due to hold separate meetings with Greek President Karolos Papoulias on Monday.

Tsipras is due to meet Papoulias in the early afternoon, while Samaras will go to the presidential mansion later in the day.

The SYRIZA leader is expected to press his case for early elections, even before Parliament is due to elect a new president in February. The opposition party bases its case for snap polls on the argument that the coalition does not have the necessary mandate to negotiate any new arrangement with the troika.

Samaras is expected to discuss national issues, especially Greece’s concerns over the actions of Turkey in the Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zone, as well as his plans for the country to exit its bailout at the end of this year.

New Democracy sources told Kathimerini that Samaras does not intend to ask Papoulias to call a meeting of party leaders as the conservative party believes that SYRIZA has already made it clear that such an event would have no meaning. SYRIZA officials recently suggested that any meeting between Tsipras and Samaras should consist of the opposition leaders asking the prime minister to resign.