Greek PM asks for Greek President to convene political leaders’ meeting

The government hopes to create alliances with other parties when enforcing tough issues

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras made telephone contact with Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos while on his trip to Israel. He called for a meeting of political leaders following the return of the president from an official visit to Rome. The political leaders may meet on the weekend as Pavlopoulos is scheduled to arrive in Athens on Friday.

Sources state that the decision for a meeting of party leaders has been on the table for a while, however Tsipras had waited for the meeting to occur after the election of the main opposition New Democracy leader as well as following his meetings in Israel and Palestine.

The government hopes to forge bonds and create a united front. The Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) wants support in dealing with difficult issues such as slashes and chartering legislation on tough issues such as social security reform. Sources say that the agenda of the meeting will also include the refugee crisis. The government will listen to the proposals of all parties on reforms that need to be made in order to achieve consensus and strengthen the Greek negotiating position.

The Ministry of Education is also set to open national dialogue on issues pertaining to the Greek education system.