Meimarakis slams Tsipras, challenges PM to TV debates
New Democracy chief Vangelis Meimarakis on Thursday accused outgoing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras of "going into hiding" and showing contempt for Greece's constitution as the country is set for a new round of elections next month.
Addressing the conservative party’s deputies on Thursday, Meimarakis – who took over from Antonis Samaras as interim chief after the ex-PM resigned following a referendum in July – challenged Tsipras to at least two televised debates ahead of the September ballot.
Tsipras has sought to persuade Greeks that the country’s negotiations with its lenders ought to be judged on their duration, as opposed to their merit and results, said Meimarakis, who added that the premier’s “lies” had resulted in new, costly measures for the Greek people.
In his speech, Meimarakis wondered why the premier did not seek snap elections before agreeing to the new bailout, but only after the proposed deal was ratified by the House.
Questions also linger over what transcribed during the government’s long-running negotiations with its creditors during Yanis Varoufakis’s tenure as finance minister, Meimarakis said.
