Samaras comes under EU pressure
 
 
 Officials in Brussels urge Greece’s main opposition leader to cooperate with government
 
    
       The leader of the main conservative opposition New Democracy, Antonis  Samaras, on Wednesday came under additional pressure from European  Union officials who pressed him to reach a political consensus with  Greece’s Socialist government on a new raft of austerity measures aimed  at saving the country from default.
In a written statement,  European Council President Herman Van Rompuy urged Samaras to “urgently”  cooperate with the Greek government.
Following talks with Samaras  in Brussels, Van Rompuy reiterated the EU’s readiness to continue  supporting Greece but said he also expected “broader political backing  from all sides” for the country’s austerity drive.
The president  of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, was equally firm in a  statement he issued after his talks with the ND leader, calling on  Samaras to “practically commit to efforts to reach a broad national  consensus.”
A source close to Samaras confirmed that the Greek  opposition leader and the European officials had not seen eye-to-eye.  “There were no grounds for agreement whatsoever,” the source told  Kathimerini.
On Tuesday, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon  urged Samaras to “support the new structural plan being negotiated by  the Greek government” and emphasized “the need for Greek political  forces to show responsibility at this crucial time.”
Samaras has  resisted overtures from the Greek government for consensus, proposing  instead his own alternative fiscal program featuring tax cuts rather  than hikes.
                            
      
  
 
ekathimerini.com , Wednesday  June 8, 2011 (22:39)