Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ATHENS1536
2008-11-10 13:55:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Athens
how-toVZCZCXRO7521 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHTH #1536 3151355 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 101355Z NOV 08 FM AMEMBASSY ATHENS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2757 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS ATHENS 001536
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O.1295: NA
TGS: GOV, PREL, GR
SUBJECT: RLINGMAJOITY ACK TO ONE-VOTE MARGIN
REF: ATHENS 1408
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED Q PROTECT ACCORDINGLY
UNCLAS ATHENS 001536
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O.1295: NA
TGS: GOV, PREL, GR
SUBJECT: RLINGMAJOITY ACK TO ONE-VOTE MARGIN
REF: ATHENS 1408
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED Q PROTECT ACCORDINGLY
1. (SBU) The parliamentary majority of Prime Minister
Karamanlis' New Democracy (ND) ruling party has again
shrunk to a single vote (151 seats in a 300-seat
Parliament) following the Prime Minister's November 10
decision to expel Petros Tatoulis, ND's best known and
most vocal maverick MP, from the party and the party's
parliamentary caucus. Tatoulis is expected to remain in
Parliament as an independent.
2. (SBU) Tatoulis, a former deputy Culture minister, has
been widely considered a thorn in the Government's side
with frequent public criticism of the government and
Karamanlis. The proximate cause of his dismissal from
the party was a November 10 interview in the daily
"Ethnos," in which Tatoulis criticized the level of
corruption in the current government and Karamanlis'
failure to address it. Tatoulis said the PM, "... is in
danger of being identified with the bad choices of some
of his cadres -- because of the identification of his
name with the party." Tatoulis added, "Nobody can claim
any longer he (Karamanlis) does not know (of the alleged
scandals),that he has not heard, that he has not seen.
In any case... tradition has it that a princess kept
prisoner commits suicide in order to escape the captivity
imposed on her by others. In our case, this time has not
yet arrived."
3. (SBU) Comment: We do not expect Tatoulis' departure
to have a major effect on the government's ability to
achieve its objectives in Parliament. This is the third
case in the past year in which the ruling party's
majority has slipped from two votes to one (the other two
MPs removed from the ND party caucus have been reinstated
- reftel). As in the other cases, Tatoulis is expected
to continue to vote with the ruling party. However, his
expulsion from the party is an additional reminder of
Karamanlis' limited room for maneuver. Tatoulis is not
the only ND MP who has expressed reservations about the
government's course, and PM Karamanlis will continue to
devote substantial time and energy to maintaining party
discipline, particularly in the face of continued polling
data showing his ruling party behind major opposition
party PASOK. It could also affect the GOG's room for
maneuver on key international issues that attract public
attention, such as the Macedonia name issue. End
Comment.
SPECKHARD
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O.1295: NA
TGS: GOV, PREL, GR
SUBJECT: RLINGMAJOITY ACK TO ONE-VOTE MARGIN
REF: ATHENS 1408
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED Q PROTECT ACCORDINGLY
1. (SBU) The parliamentary majority of Prime Minister
Karamanlis' New Democracy (ND) ruling party has again
shrunk to a single vote (151 seats in a 300-seat
Parliament) following the Prime Minister's November 10
decision to expel Petros Tatoulis, ND's best known and
most vocal maverick MP, from the party and the party's
parliamentary caucus. Tatoulis is expected to remain in
Parliament as an independent.
2. (SBU) Tatoulis, a former deputy Culture minister, has
been widely considered a thorn in the Government's side
with frequent public criticism of the government and
Karamanlis. The proximate cause of his dismissal from
the party was a November 10 interview in the daily
"Ethnos," in which Tatoulis criticized the level of
corruption in the current government and Karamanlis'
failure to address it. Tatoulis said the PM, "... is in
danger of being identified with the bad choices of some
of his cadres -- because of the identification of his
name with the party." Tatoulis added, "Nobody can claim
any longer he (Karamanlis) does not know (of the alleged
scandals),that he has not heard, that he has not seen.
In any case... tradition has it that a princess kept
prisoner commits suicide in order to escape the captivity
imposed on her by others. In our case, this time has not
yet arrived."
3. (SBU) Comment: We do not expect Tatoulis' departure
to have a major effect on the government's ability to
achieve its objectives in Parliament. This is the third
case in the past year in which the ruling party's
majority has slipped from two votes to one (the other two
MPs removed from the ND party caucus have been reinstated
- reftel). As in the other cases, Tatoulis is expected
to continue to vote with the ruling party. However, his
expulsion from the party is an additional reminder of
Karamanlis' limited room for maneuver. Tatoulis is not
the only ND MP who has expressed reservations about the
government's course, and PM Karamanlis will continue to
devote substantial time and energy to maintaining party
discipline, particularly in the face of continued polling
data showing his ruling party behind major opposition
party PASOK. It could also affect the GOG's room for
maneuver on key international issues that attract public
attention, such as the Macedonia name issue. End
Comment.
SPECKHARD