Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 02-04-28

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From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.

CONTENTS

[01] TROUBLED BY SUPPORT OF THE FAR RIGHT IN GREECE

[02] EARLY ELECTIONS?

[03] TWO RUSSIAN SAILORS MISSING IN CASSANDRIA

[04] MEASURES TO COUNTER VIRUS LIFTED-DAY CARE CENTERS OPEN

[05] FRENCH ELECTION RESULTS MORBID PHENOMENON

[01] TROUBLED BY SUPPORT OF THE FAR RIGHT IN GREECE

During his speech at the celebration of the 176th anniversary of the heroic exodus of the Free Besieged from Messologi, President of the Republic Kostis Stefanopoulos pointed out the struggles of the Greek people for freedom and he did not hide his annoyance at the opinions expressed concerning support of the far right.

I believe that it is probably due to some mistake, the result of one of the latest surveys, that there were Greeks, who were not moved by the dimension of freedom, but who said certain things that disturbed me to a great degree, as I imagine disturbed everyone. I would like to tell them that when one is free, one does not accept a few tyrants in the interior, just because he denies a tyrant abroad. He raises his head high and faces the difficulties of each moment without placing the burden on freedom and democracy, stressed Mr. Stefanopoulos.

God forbid we forget our nation's struggles so easily, which were not just national struggles but struggles for interior freedom. Let us think of the price the Greek people paid, not just to gain national freedom, but for each of use to be free concerning each other, to have no hesitation in speaking, expressing ourselves, thinking, looking each other in the eye without hesitation, recognizing our fellow man's freedom, the same freedom we are entitled to, the freedom we claim for ourselves, he noted.

[02] EARLY ELECTIONS?

Kostas Simitis must leave as soon as possible, stressed honorary President of New Democracy Konstantinos Mitsotakis and he called the Prime Minister to hold early elections.

He must leave as soon as possible. He should have already left. Every day Simitis stays in power is damaging to Greece. He is finished. From the moment he cannot lift the measures necessary at the moment, he should leave and let someone else take his place, and do what he is incapable of doing, underlined Mr. Mitsotakis in an interview to the Sunday Typos newspaper.

On the other hand, Mr. Laliotis, Secretary of PASOK's Central Committee, stated that it is in is in our hands once more at the 2004 national elections for Mr. Simitis and PASOK to win, in an interview to the Sunday Ethnos

Mr. Laliotis expressed the belief that PASOK can overturn the survey results as it has in the past, and to the question of whether there may be a leadership issue in PASOK after a possible defeat in the municipal elections he answered: PASOK and Mr. Simitis have been given an order by the Greek people to lead the country into 2004. Similar hypothetical questions have been raised many times over the past few years, not only concerning possible defeats but also possible changes in its leadership. Bur I remind you that the Greek people gave its answer in 1996, 1998, and 200 both concerning PASOK and Mr. Simitis.

In contrast, President of the Coalition of the Left Nikos Konstantopoulos appeared worried by the Lepen phenomenon and the developments taking place at a European level, as well as the internal policy and social situation in Greece in statements to the Kathimerini newspaper. But these intense worries cannot hide his optimism on a better Tomorrow. And he is sending his own message regarding an alternative left strategy, an Alternative Left Proposal in Greece, as he characteristically mentioned.

Specifically concerning the PASOK government, Mr. Konstantopoulos supported that if it does not dare to make major changes in the policy it is following, it will give away, will offer, New Democracy the power. With its policies and the way it is governing, the government has created a deep political crisis, added the President of the Coalition. He referred to the issue of shady interests intertwined with political life and the lack of transparency and he pointed out that even Justice cannot or is not being helped to do its job. Mr. Simitis' PASOK, at the end of a conservative government , cannot appear to be or convince that it can be a modern Left.

[03] TWO RUSSIAN SAILORS MISSING IN CASSANDRIA

A large scale operation is underway in Cassandria, Chalkidiki, where two Russian sailors have been missing since early the early morning hours.

The two missing men, a sublieutenant and a sailor, are crew members on the Russian Giprostroitel Alexantrov freight, which left the Thessaloniki harbor a 01:00 for Russia. An hour after their setting sail, the Captain of the Giprostroitel Alexantrov communicated with the Thessaloniki port authorities and reported the disappearance of the two crew members.

Coast Guard and private speed boats immediately rushed to the area where searches for the location of the two sailors are still under.

[04] MEASURES TO COUNTER VIRUS LIFTED-DAY CARE CENTERS OPEN

All of Greece's day care centers, preschools and private tutoring centers will function normally tomorrow, as the alarm that had been sounded due to the increasing number of cases of the virus causing myocarditis was ended.

Officials at the Control Center of Special Contagious Disesases, ascertained that the epidemic is in recess, while only two more cases were recorded in Patra and Larissa.

In the meanwhile the identity of the virus is expected to be announced very soon, while Health Minister Alekos Papadopoulos announced that according to the first findings the virus in question, that caused the myocarditis and pericarditis deaths, is an intestine virus. Also, Mr. Papadopoulos mentioned the announcement of the World Health Organization, according to which there are no travel and transaction restrictions regarding Greece.

In any case, doctors recommend thorough keeping of all hygiene rules.

[05] FRENCH ELECTION RESULTS MORBID PHENOMENON

The results of the French Presidential elections continue to draw reactions from the Greek political world. EuroMP Giorgos Katiforis, Head of the Euro-group of PASOK, Vice President of the Group of the Socialist Party in the European Parliament and representative of the Greek government at the Assembly on the institutional reform of the European Union, spoke to Avgi newspaper concerning the results of the first round of the French elections. Anything over 20% for Lepen would be a disaster, because it would establish a more or less fascist party the 20% itself is a morbid phenomenon.

Mr. Katiforis believes that the message of the French elections is a political action taken by a part of the French people voting for Lepen a bad political action of course. The second part of the message, in my opinion, is that it is a protest vote against traditional parties of the right and left. Thirdly, it is a message inspiring worry of a xenophobia being formed in part of the French people, and not the French alone, and antagonism towards institutions of international cooperation. They are bad and worrying messages.

Jospin's electoral campaign was not good. But I do not believe that the Left supporters in France decreased in number. The way in which it has fractured itself into small groups gave Lepen the chance to pass into the second round. This plural Left as well as Elias type formations as in Italy, serve their purpose. In general elections it functions negatively. It was obvious that Jospin had to compete with many candidates from the Left, many more than Chirac and Lepen. I do not know if all Left candidates would have run in the elections had they realized the danger named Lepen. Looking back their action was irresponsible.

In my personal opinion, when socialist parties reigned over Europe four years ago, they were not able to give effective solutions to long standing problems paining many people. They did not give neoliberal solutions such as Blair's, but they did not provide classic socialist solutions either.

Her hopes of a positive result from the shock to the whole political world of seeing the extreme right rise in France, was expressed by Euro MP Anna Diamantopoulou, in an interview to the Sunday Elftherotypia.

She believes that Chriac's turn to the social sector made the difference from the socialist party very difficult to discern.

She found similarities in the French Socialist party and in PASOK, in the fact that government choices are not supported by all staff members. The reforms need aggressive support, otherwise the government is in the defensive without a goalkeeper.

To the question of where she attributes the failure of the Socialist party in the elections, she answered:

I believe that we should view the issue from two angles. One is the technical angle, meaning political system of France, the multifracturing of the Left and the trap of surveys, which led to indifference. On the political side, French politicians are indeed the most distinct Socialist party in Europe, and have made very difficult decisions. At the same time however, the socialist right has made a major turn towards the social sector and there was thus a great difficulty in discerning their political differences. But Jospin did not go towards Chirac, Chirac went towards Jospin. And of course the phenomenon of their cohabitation assisted in the assimilation of their image.

In an interview to the Sunday Avgi, Euro MP of the Coalition of the Left Michalis Papagiannakis was explicit: the first round of these Presidential elections disintegrated the French political system.

To the question of what the message of the result was, Mr. Papagiannakis stated that: This result is the product of many coincidences. It concerns the victory of Lepen, the defeat of the Left, as well as the defeat of the system. Because in comparison to 1995, Lepen received 250,000 more votes in a total of 40 million that is not a tide. Of course this increased number of votes is calculated at a smaller base due to the increased abstention, and thus raises him even higher. It is what we are in danger of witnessing in the second round of the elections, if the abstention does not drop, because the same amount of votes may give a much higher percentage. It is however a victory, when he was considered done-for just a short time ago. And it is a victory that walks hand in hand with the defeat of the Left in France. This is where the problem lies.

The Coalition's Euro MP does not believe that Jospin was the worst case. I believe that it was one of the best governments that wing has provided, whether it is the Socialist Party or the so called plural Left. He took initiative, gave solutions in many sectors, such as the social securities issue, the 35 work hours, taxes, unemployment and broader social policy.

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