Conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has created a plan to gain lost political ground prior to the presidential elections, however his government’s endurance will be tested during the tough negotiations with the troika of Greece’s international creditors. The government has planned a series of tax breaks that it plans to incorporate into its budget whether troika agrees or not, such as a regulation that would allow people who owe money to the government to pay in 100 installments and the reduced contribution to the solidarity fund for 2015 amongst other issues.

The larger picture will start to be formulated by the end of October, following the stress tests. Mr. Samaras believes that his European partners will support his plans even though he hasn’t received any pledges – not even during his recent visit to Berlin where he met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. On the downside for the government, there is no alternative plan should the lenders refuse the government delegation’s plan.

During the conservative New Democracy (ND) party’s 40-year anniversary in Halkidiki, Mr. Samaras tried to gather the right faction together in order to lift his party’s morale. He also attacked the Coalition of the Left (SYRIZA) for “promises with debts and populism even during the visit with the Pope”, adding that they would never become the ruling party.