ND leader Vangelis Meimarakis says conservatives will not give vote of confidence to SYRIZA

After a pre-election campaign based on a willingness to converge, the ND leader is back to rejecting all that SYRIZA has to suggest

Main opposition leader Vangelis Meimarakis said the conservative New Democracy party would not give the government its vote of confidence during a speech on Wednesday, the last day of the three-day parliamentary debate on the government’s policy statements.

“Go ahead and vote what you signed by yourself! We say no to stagnation and policies that affect private initiative! No to taxes! No to the vote of confidence in the government!” said Meimarakis.

He attacked the Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) PM Alexis Tsipras, who he accused of caring about his party more than the country. “Instead of becoming a national leader you turned into a party leader and led the country to elections,” he said, admitting that he hasn’t even read the 2016 draft bill submitted by Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos.

Meimarakis said the agreement signed between Greece and its international lenders removes the possibility for restructuring, contrary to what the government’s public statements. The ND leader would support structural changes to secure investment and create jobs, but will not vote for new measures and taxes.

He rejected the PM’s claims that the government would be able to change the management of banks, noting that the bailout agreement explicitly forbids the government from interfering in management appointments. The conservative leader pointed to a “harsh winter” ahead and said that the Tsipras-Kammenos coalition keep saying different things.

“You increased tax payments, brought VAT hikes to islands and hotels, the solidarity levy, increased tax on rents and you temporarily suspended the VAT on private schools,” he added.