Greek prime minister Giorgos Papandreou pledges not cut cut wages and raise taxes in 2009 speech

I was present outside the Velledio conference centre in Greece's second city when the prime minister Giorgos Papandreou pledged to not cut wages and benefits in order not to condemn the country to an endless recession.

Within less than three months the ruling PASOK party reneged upon their campaign promises and implemented exactly those measures they'd sworn not to. It is the context of this massive u - turn that Greeks have turned their backs on the current political system with its intricate web of corruption and patron - client relationships which has brought stagnation and huge debts which are now being paid for by the nation's poorest and most vulnerable.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• greek prime minister
• pasok
• greece
• greek economic crisis
• election promises