UPD: Greek PM extends first official invite for political leaders meeting

The content and details concerning a meeting of political party leaders of Parliament is expected to be decided upon on Friday. Responding to a media report on private TV channel MEGA that said that the representatives of institutions had asked for the meeting to convene, the Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) ruling party released a statement:

“No paper from the institutions has reached the government requesting the convening of the Council of Political Leaders, or any other initiative on the social security issue.”

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras returned from his visit to Israel and Palestine late on Thursday and is expected to contact party leaders on Friday so as to extend an official invitation for the meeting that is expected to focus on the refugee crisis and social security reforms.

Following this, the protocol for a meeting of this type will be followed as it requires a written letter of request to President Prokopis Pavlopoulos.

Tsipras wants the leaders council to convene on Saturday so that he can head to Brussels on Sunday for the leaders meeting with a clear position on the refugee crisis. There is criticism, however, that such important decisions can’t be made on a day’s notice without proper calculations and reasoned opinions.

On Thursday morning, Tsipras called Pavlopoulos from Jerusalem while Pavlopoulos was in Rome and asked for the meeting to take place resulting in a domino of misunderstandings and barage of criticism regarding the government’s fast-track handling of serious issues.