ATHENS—Greece’s major political parties on Sunday agreed to form a national unity government that will lead the country to new elections after putting in place a debt-slashing deal, in the hope of averting financial catastrophe for the country and winning back the trust of its European partners. The deal was made possible after Prime Minister George Papandreou agreed to step down to make way for a new prime minister under a commonly accepted government.
The World from Berlin: ‘The Common Currency Endgame Has Begun’ – SPIEGEL ONLINE – News – International
Conservative daily Die Welt writes:
“At the end of the eventful day, the redemptive message came: Papandreou would withdraw his referendum because conservative Greek opposition leader Antonis Samaras declared he was ready to vote for the aid package with the government and take part in an interim national unity government……”
“But the reasons behind this welcome development did not lie in Athens, but in Cannes. There, Merkel and Sarkozy bet the house when they took the Greek prime minister to task. They didn’t just say that payments to Greece would stop until the Greeks made it clear they would hold up their end of the bargain. They also insisted that the Greek referendum would essentially be a vote on Greece’s membership in the euro zone — the really big question. The politicians in Athens decided they’d rather not take the risk.”
Papademos Favored to Lead Greek Transition – WSJ.com
A former vice president of the European Central Bank has emerged as an early favorite to lead what could become a new Greek caretaker government of technical experts that would finalize aid talks and stabilize the country’s fractured politics. The interim government would oversee the transition until possible new elections next year.
Officials from the country’s two leading political parties said Lucas Papademos keeps coming up as political insiders consider candidates for a prime minister of a transitional national unity government, if Prime Minister George Papandreou resigns, a possibility that is now widely expected.
Worried Eyes on Greece Ahead of Confidence – NYTimes.com
[Greek Prime Minister] Mr. Papandreou was under intense pressure from his own Socialist party and the center-right opposition to step aside if his government survived the confidence vote [early Saturday], to pave the way for a unity government or early elections.
…….. New Democracy [the opposition] has refused to consider talks on a transitional government unless Mr. Papandreou resigns.
via Worried Eyes on Greece Ahead of Confidence – NYTimes.com.