Update: Greek PM to Offer Resignation

While I was in the process of posting the no confidence story, the BBC updated their story on Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou:  Greek crisis: Papandreou ‘to offer to resign’.

Mr Papandreou will meet Greek President Karolos Papoulias immediately after an emergency cabinet meeting has finished.

He is expected to offer a coalition government, with former Greek central banker Lucas Papademos at the helm.

But state TV reported that Mr Papandreou insisted during the meeting that he would not resign.

In regards to the likelihood of reversal of the plebiscite plan:

Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos launched the parliamentary revolt in the early hours of Thursday with a statement saying Greece’s membership of the euro could not be put in doubt.

"If we want to protect the country we must, under conditions of national unity and political seriousness and consensus, implement without any delay the decision of 26 October. Now, as soon as possible," Mr Venizelos said.

Mr Venizelos is a former challenger for the Pasok leadership. In 2004, he was defeated by Mr Papandreou by 56% to 38% in a party vote.

If the plebiscite plan is rescinded it will certainly change the atmosphere at the G20 meeting.

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Steven L. Taylor
About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a Professor of Political Science and a College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog). Follow Steven on Twitter

Comments

  1. legion says:

    I’m actually kind of hoping the referendum keeps going… Maybe it would force the rest of Europe to consider solutions that might have a chance in hell of doing something (i.e., not austerity).

  2. Dazedandconfused says:

    He had to get his opposition to publicly state they support it lest they lie themselves into a corner where they have to reneg on it when the mobs put them in charge. Which they surely would.

    Now that he has the bastards on record, he can cancel the referendum. Retire too. Might as well. This is going to make people in Greece a bit surly for years to come, I reckon.