Politics of Greece

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is set to get personally involved in the process of trying to convince independent and opposition MPs to elect Stavros Dimas as president, Kathimerini understands.

PASOK chief Evangelos Venizelos on Friday shrugged off at suggestions made the previous day by his predecessor at the helm of the socialist party George Papandreou that he might form his own political movement if Greece heads to early elections.

An Athens court on Friday postponed the trial of Golden Dawn’s Ilias Kasidiaris over charges of attempted grievous bodily harm to March 1st, 2016. The postponement was due to action called by lawyers.

The case centered on charges brought against Kasidiaris by Greek Communist Party (KKE) MP Liana Kanelli, following a televised brawl on June 2012.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has warned Greeks against voting “extreme forces” into power while voicing his preference for “known faces,” according to reports.

By Dimitra Manifava

Retail stores are set to open on the last Sunday of the year, December 28, as the multi-bill that the Development Ministry is about to table in Parliament in the coming days will provide for a law amendment to that effect.

Former Prime Minister George Papandreou caused consternation in his party, PASOK, on Thursday when he strayed from the Socialist line and called for a new government to be formed if a president is elected this month, while suggesting that he might form his own political movement if Greece heads to snap elections instead.

With the government still not in a position to elect a president, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras launched an all-out attack on SYRIZA on Thursday that was aimed to make independent and opposition MPs think twice about how they will vote when the ballot for head of state comes around.

Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Thursday accused opposition SYRIZA of bringing back Grexit fears and sending a message to the markets not to lend to the country by declaring its sovereign debt unsustainable.

By Antonis Galanopoulos & Nikos Chrysoloras

Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is broadening his support in parliament with less than a week to go before his first attempt to elect a new president and avoid an early election in Europe's most indebted state.

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Opposition SYRIZA deputies were not expected to participate in a Parliamentary committee overlooking constitutional reforms proposed by the current coalition government, it emerged on Thursday.

SYRIZA chief Alexis Tsipras notified House Speaker Evangelos Meimarakis of the party’s decision on Thursday.