Greece's smaller coalition partner backs reforms

The leader of the Greek far-right nationalist party Laos said on Saturday he will support newly appointed Prime Minister Lucas Papademos until the government's work is completed. "It is implied that Laos will support Papdemos's government until it completes its work," said Laos chief George Karatzaferis, in an open letter addressed to the Greek people but also to the country's European partners. "The main goal of this government is to ratify the decisions taken at he October 26 2011 Summit, including the political and economic policies which are associated with these decisions," Karatzaferis added in the letter published in his party's newspaper. The EU and the International Monetary Fund have made clear that they will not provide 8 billion euros ($10.76 billion), frozen since August, in loans unless the leaders of the parties in Greece's new coalition sign up in writing to the latest bailout package agreed in October. Greece's international creditors are seeking assurances that the painful austerity drive initiated in 2009 will continue beyond the life of the new government, formed earlier this month in a power-sharing deal between the conservatives, the socialists and the far-right nationalists. Under pressure for a written commitment, New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras backed the debt rescue scheme in a letter to EU and IMF officials. It is not clear if the letter by the Greek conservative leader amounted to the acceptable, written commitment they seek. Both New Democracy and Laos, who until this month were in opposition to a socialist government torn asunder by the unpopular austerity measures, are keen to head into the next elections with as little political damage as possible.