Main opposition New Democracy (ND) party on Tuesday demanded the convening of a Parliament committee of inquiry to investigate claims by Austin-based economist James Galbraith Jr. regarding the period before the announcement of last year’s snap referendum on an offer by creditors at the time.
According to ND, Galbraith was appointed by then Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis to oversee a team allegedly preparing a so-called “Plan X”.
“Three days before the (announcement) of the referendum (on July 2), Alexis Tsipras visited the defense ministry, where (minister) Panos Kammenos announced that the armed forces of the country ensure stability in the home front.”
A ND spokesman said the party continues to demand such a committee of inquiry.
Former PASOK party leader and long-time minister Evangelos Venizelos was equally caustic in his reaction to Galbraith’s claims, essentially referring to a “Venezuelization” of Greece.
“You don’t nationalize the Bank of Greece; you don’t change the currency; you don’t impose a change in the currency of deposits simply with a legal edict. Society here (Greece) would have been turned into a hell; we would have had instances of violence, problems with basic liberties – and all these things were said with an incredible lightness,” he was quoted as telling a local Athens radio program.
In a same-day response by Varoufakis, whose comments were aired on a local radio station, he stressed that “they should have convened a committee of inquiry against me if I didn’t have a Plan B.”
“…on the same day they accuse me of wanting to return Greece to the drachma, but that I also want to continue the Samaras program,” he said.
