Tsipras dismissive of government reshuffle

Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) Parliamentary group leader Alexis Tsipras was dismissive of the new government unveiled by Prime Minister George Papandreou after a reshuffle on Friday, commenting that “one doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry with all this”.
“From the joint government of Papandreou and [main opposition New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras], which did not succeed because Samaras did not accept Papandreou as prime minister, we have been led to the joint government of Papandreou and [new finance minister Evangelos Venizelos], because finally Mr. Venizelos accepted Papandreou for prime minister,” he said.

At a time when Greek society was in turmoil and people had lost their trust in politicians, some people were insisting on playing tactical power-sharing games and were apparently unaware that their days in power were numbered, Tsipras added.

During a visit to Greece’s Institute of Geological and Mining Studies (IGME) on Friday afternoon, Tsipras also strongly criticised plans to shut down IGME as a “crime against the environment and growth”, pointing out that no advanced European country lacked its equivalent and accusing the Memorandum of “demolishing the research and development facilities”.