ND leader Samaras meets Ireland’s Enda Kenny

Main opposition New Democracy (ND) party leader Antonis Samaras met on Friday with the winner of the elections in Ireland Enda Kenny, on the sidelines of the European People’s Party (EPP) summit taking place in Helsinki.

Samaras congratulated the Irish prime minister-elect for his victory and discussed with him the two countries’ common problems and the memorandum, on which they agreed that “it does not solve the problems of their countries.”

They also agreed that Greece and Ireland have similar courses due to their subjection to the support mechanism and common problems that are being created by the need for growth.

The ND leader expressed support for low tax rates and for the extension of the public debt’s repayment with a parallel decrease in the interest rate.

Kenny has already declared his intention to negotiate the change of the memorandum, something that Samaras is also proposing for Greece.

Speaking after his meeting with Kenny, Samaras said: “I had the pleasure of talking with the prime minister designate of Ireland Mr. Enda Kenny and to congratulate him on his great election victory. Our countries are facing a very big economic problem. Both our countries are each facing a Memorandum that does not solve their problems. Ireland, however, has forged ahead for Development. It started its struggle. We have stayed very much behind. We have not even started our struggle for Development. I hope this will happen soon. There is no other solution.”

The meeting between the two leaders lasted for about half an hour and according to Samaras’s staff “it was in an extremely good climate.” Samaras was the second leader with whom Kenny met after European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso.