Greek president meets with PM to discuss snap polls

Outgoing Greek President Karolos Papoulias on Tuesday welcomed Prime Minister Antonis Samaras at his central Athens office to discuss the dissolution of Parliament and early general elections following the failure of lawmakers on Monday to approve the coalition government’s successor for Papoulias.

“The big moment has arrived,” Skai reported Papoulias as saying when welcoming Samaras to his office. “I hope all goes well for the country.”

Samaras wants to dissolve Parliament as soon as possible and schedule elections for January 25.

“The people did not want elections. They are unnecessary. They are the result of partisan self-interest,” Samaras said during the meeting.

“But when it comes to the security and stability of the nation, the battle is about truth and responsibility. In this battle, it is not the political parties that come first, but the nation, particularly as Greece’s remainder in Europe is at stake,” the prime minister said.

Papoulias will be issuing a presidential decree within the day ordering the dissolution of Parliament and naming January 25 as the date for the general election, to be followed in the first half of February by a ballot for his successor.

Samaras, meanwhile, is expected to meet with New Democracy’s executive committee at 5 p.m.