Papandreou shifts gear

PASOK leader George Papandreou made a bid for center stage on Greece’s political scene yesterday as he presented a 10-point policy plan which he hopes will help get the Socialists back into power. Papandreou presented a program of increased social spending, which will appeal to the party’s hardcore support, but he did not explain where the money to cover the extra expenditure will come from. «I refuse to negotiate these [10] points with anyone because they represent the minimum base of public goods needed to provide social cohesion,» Papandreou said. Among the key goals that Papandreou has set for a prospective PASOK government is to reduce Greece’s unemployment rate below the EU average and for the state to pay between 25 and 100 percent of social security costs for university and technical college graduates during their first four years in the workplace. Papandreou unveiled ambitious plans to provide uninsured people with an extra pension – on top of the minimum state pension – of -550 per month. He also wants families to receive a one-off payment of up to -2,000 for each child. The PASOK leader pledged to meet a longstanding demand of teachers and students by increasing spending on education to 5 percent of GDP. He did not explain how he would deal with the current university crisis. «Greece will be a front-runner in education and culture,» said Papandreou, who also promised a robust national health service. The environment will be a «priority» for PASOK leaders, who will ensure that 10 percent of the energy used in Greece by 2012 is derived from renewable sources, Papandreou added. PASOK has consistently trailed New Democracy in opinion polls over the last few months as the focus has moved to the next general elections, which have to be held by March 2008. Papandreou promised voters yesterday «there is another way» to the one being followed by the ruling conservatives, whom he accused of being «afraid of change and upsetting their interests.»