Venizelos, Papandreou row continues

A spokesman for ex-Prime Minister George Papandreou’s party, the Movement of Democratic Socialists, implied on Friday that the former premier had proposed to PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos (photo), among other people, that he take over as prime minister in November 2011.

Venizelos claimed on Thursday that he received a call at the time asking if he would be prepared to take over as prime minister and that this proves he was not involved in any machinations to remove Papandreou from office.

A spokesman for the Movement, Giorgos Petalotis, did not deny Venizelos’s version of events. He said that Papandreou “thought of many names” at the time.

Petalotis added that Venizelos’s claim that this is proof he was not involved in a plot to bring down Papandreou “does not stand up.”

“Who brought him down and in what manner has been proved,” said the spokesman.