Most Greeks oppose state broadcasters' closure amid prospect of early elections
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E-mail Xinhua, June 16, 2013
The vast majority of Greeks oppose last Tuesday's sudden closure of the state broadcaster ERT, amid the prospect of early elections fuelled by diverging views on the issue among the three partners of the coalition government, opinion polls published at the weekend showed.
About 64.4 percent of respondents in a survey carried out by Kappa Research polling firm for the daily Vima (The Tribune) on Sunday opposed the government's decision to close the broadcaster as part of measures to streamline the public sector and secure more international aid to exit the debt crisis, while 32.1 percent viewed it positively.
Another opinion poll by Metron Analysis firm for Ependytis (Investor) newspaper indicated that 68 percent disagreed with the move, while a third survey conducted by VPRC firm for the news portal tvxs.gr put the percentage at 65 percent.
Most Greek citizens appear to also reject the prospect of a third general election within a year, according to the surveys.
According to Kappa Research 57.1 percent of respondents do not want snap polls in contrast to 40.1 percent who are in favor. Metron Analysis' poll gave 49 percent versus 47 percent respectively.
If coalition partners don't manage however to overcome the rift during a crucial meeting on Monday afternoon which coincides with the first anniversary of the last elections and Greeks will head to polls again this summer, the conservative New Democracy (ND) party of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras seems to be neck and neck with the main opposition Radical Left SYRIZA, as it happened in the 2012 double polls.
ND is slightly ahead with 21.4 percent to 21.1 percent in Kappa Research's survey, with 20.2 percent versus 20 percent for SYRIZA in Metron Analysis' poll, while VPRC gives SYRIZA a lead at 29 percent versus 26.5 percent.
Samaras' two centre-left coalition partners, the socialist PASOK party would get 6.3 percent of votes, and the Democratic Left (DIMAR) 3.9 percent.
Ahead of Monday's meeting, coalition partners appear to stick to their positions. In an article printed in the daily newspaper Kathimerini on Sunday, Samaras wrote that the "problem is not ERT, but the need to proceed with reforms," repeating his earlier arguments that the broadcaster had become a hub of corruption.
Speaking to the newspaper Real News at the weekend PASOK's chief Evangelos Venizelos said that "the country does not need elections, but PASOK does not accept ultimatums."
Similar comments were made by DIMAR President Fotis Kouvelis who also opposed Samaras' decision to shutdown ERT by a ministerial decree signed only by ND party ministers, surpassing the parliament.
Both junior partners insist on the immediate reopening of ERT until its planned restructuring finishes by the end of the summer. They immediately turned down Samaras' suggestion over the past few hours to set up a cross party committee to select a reduced number of the current 2,700 staff to start some broadcasts earlier than the initial timetable announced on Wednesday.
The daily Ethnos (The Nation) reported, citing government sources, that Samaras will propose on Monday the temporary pilot reopening of ERT in July with three TV channels down from the previous four and three radio stations from the previous 28 operating with a total of 800 employees.
Meanwhile, ERT employees continue broadcasts via the Internet, a media blackout launched since Tuesday in all private print and electronic media by Press unions continues to Tuesday and the umbrella unions of public and private sector workers warn with new general strikes in coming days.
ERT's closure, the first major state organization to close since the start of the debt crisis, came in the context of efforts to save funds and boost the efficiency in public services in order to reduce deficits and restore growth under the terms of bailout agreements clinched with international creditors since 2010.
Athens promised this spring to dismiss 2,000 civil servants this summer, 4,000 by the end of the year and 15,000 by 2015.
If coalition partners will not overcome the impasse, local analysts fear a derailment of the bailout program.
In another development, Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras is due to hold new talks with the chief auditors of European Union and International Monetary Fund in Athens on Sunday, as a review of Greece's fiscal adjustment program continues ahead of the release of the next 3.3 billion euro (4.4 billion U.S. dollars) loan installment expected later this week. Endi
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