Laos Doesn't Seem Inclined to Budge On The Wage Issue Heading Into The Critical Meeting Today !

Lengthy and difficult negotiations

by Lamprini C. Thoma 5 Feb 2012

Far-right leader George Karatzaferis, conservative party leader Antonis Samaras, Prime Minister Lucas Papademos and Socialist leader George Papandreou meet at the Prime Minister's office in Athens February 5, 2012. The meeting between prime minister Lucas Papademos and the leaders of the three parties that support his government, George Papandreou, Antonis Samaras and George Karatzaferis begun at 15:30 Sunday.   Earlier, the prime minister held another meeting with representatives of the country's lenders, in the presence of Evangelos Venizelos and Yiorgos Koutroumanis.   According to AMNA, the prime minister and the three party leaders were joined by Institute for International Finance (IIF) managing director Charles Dallara and the IIF's Jean Lemierre, who together with Dallara are the steering committee of the Private Creditor-Investor Committee for Greece, at about 19:00.   The only statements during the parties' leaders arrival at Maximos Mansion came from the Laos party president. "I come here hoping that I won't have to repeat what Helmut Schmidt said a few days ago," said George Karatzaferis.   The former Chancellor of Germany had sharply criticised Angela Merkel recently for her stance towards Greece. Addressing the German Economic Forum in Hamburg, Schmidt said: "It would be wiser not to insult the Greeks and to refrain from sacking ten million people along with their former governments and then lashing them. It is way easy for a fat German, with a population of 80 million, to corner the helpless Greek." Schmidt concluded that: "If the Europeans fail to save Greece, then to hell with them."   According to a report by the radio station "Vima 99.5" following the meeting of political party leaders, the Pasok president may convene a meeting of the party's political council.