Greece: Final attempt, possible 4-party government

If he reaches his goal, Karolos Papoulias, 82 years old, will be remembered as the man who rescued modern Greece from a financial catastrophe, giving it a unity government. If he fails, he will be remembered as the last president of Greece when the country was still an EU member. Papoulias is now aiming to form a government of national unity including four parties: New Democracy, Pasok, Independent Greeks and the Democratic Left. This evening at 7.30 pm local time the consultations will continue with a meeting attended by Antonis Samaras (New Democracy), Evangelos Venizelos (Pasok), Alexis Tsipras (left-wing coalition Syriza) and Fotis Kouvelis (Democratic Left). The meeting is a last attempt to form a unity government and avoid the second Greek elections in two months time. After all attempts to form a coalition government made since last Monday by Samaras, Tsipras and Venizelos had failed, Papoulias yesterday called a first meeting with these three party leaders. Later in the evening he also held separate talks with the leaders of the other four parties that entered the Greek Parliament: Panos Kammenos (Independent Greeks), Aleka Papariga (Communist Party), Nikos Michaloikos (pro-Nazi Golden Dawn party) and Fotis Kouvelis (Democratic Left). The meetings are a desperate attempt to avoid having to organise new elections next month. New elections could give even more votes to the radical-left parties - due to the anger of Greek citizens over the strict austerity measures launched by the previous two governments on the basis of the Memorandum signed with international creditors - which would automatically lead Greece outside the eurozone. The elderly president continued his talks all day, almost until midnight, a tour de force that would have been a heavy burden even for a man half his age. The only news that was reported after the meeting with the three party leaders is that Papoulias has shown them a letter written by former Premier Lucas Papademos, in which he explains Greece's very serious economic situation in detail and describes the precipice Greece could fall into without a reliable government in the eyes of international creditors. There seemed to be a breakthrough last night when Kammenos said that ''we agree on the fact that the country must have a government." Several analysts said that this statement means the leader of the Independent Greeks party is willing to join a coalition with New Government, Pasok and the Democratic Left, totalling 201 seats on a total of 300. That would guarantee a sufficiently stable government for the challenges Greece will have to face.