ATHENS — Greece’s main opposition leader Antonis Samaras called for the creation of a transition government that will ratify a new eurozone aid package for Greece and prepare the country for new elections.
“At this point the new loan agreement is inevitable and it must be safeguarded,” Samaras said in a statement. “I ask for the creation of a temporary, transition government whose mandate will be to conduct immediate elections. And for the ratification of the loan agreement by the present parliament.”
The statement marks a sharp shift in the conservative leader’s stance, who until now called for a renegotiation of Greece’s bailout agreement with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.
His comments come as Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou faced an open revolt after surprising his own lawmakers this week by calling for a referendum on the country’s latest aid package, agreed to by European leaders in Brussels last week.
Papandreou Thursday authorized talks with the opposition party in an effort to end a political crisis that threatened the country’s future membership of the eurozone.
In remarks to a cabinet meeting released by his office, Papandreou said he had appointed two senior party officials to hold talks with their counterparts in the New Democracy party.
He added that he would also personally speak with opposition leader Antonis Samaras to decide on the next steps to reach a broader consensus.
Under New Democracy’s proposals the temporary, transition government should consist of non-political party members and have a limited mandate, solely aimed at securing Greece’s next loan payment under its existing bailout package and ratifying the new aid deal.
New Democracy said that the temporary government should aim to achieve its goals by the Dec. 4 timeframe Greece’s eurozone partners earlier set as a deadline for Greece to clarify its position.
Meeting in Cannes late Wednesday, Europe’s leaders made it plain they had reached the end of their patience with Greece, demanding that the beleaguered nation declare whether it wants to stay in the euro currency union — or risk going it alone in a dramatic secession. They also made it clear that new payments would be withheld until Greece ratifies the latest loan deal.