News in English, of 1/3/1996



TITLES

  • The prime minister says Greece will not tolerate Turkish provocations.

  • An interview with Pavlos, son of the former king of Greece.

  • Orthodoxy condemns a bombing in Albania.
    SIMITIS

    In a 90-minute press conference, prime minister Kostas Simitis said that Greece will use its status as a European Union member, to get Turkey to respect international law.

    Following Turkey's provocation of Greece, that resulted in an Aegean stand-off four weeks ago, Greece has worked to win the solidarity, of its EU partners.

    Mr Simitis says unless Turkey takes a more civil stance, it will have trouble moving closer to Europe.

    He's only been in office just over a month, but it's been a long haul on the foreign policy front.

    Prime minister had to stare down a Turkish threat to a Greek island in the Aegean at the end of January. That done, he launched a diplomatic campaing to bolster Greece's position internationally.

    Prime minister Kostas Simitis told reporters his aim is to promote Greece's interests in the European Union, and he responded to critics who grumble about what they see as the EU's failure to show solidarity with Greece over Turkey. Some people think EU support is automatic, he said, but it isn't. Progress on any issue in the EU requires tough, drawn-out negotiations. Mr Simitis intends to keep EU aid to Turkey frozen, until Turkey agrees to take its territorial claims against Greece to the international court, or states that it has no claims. The Greek leader believes that with EU pressure, Turkey will see the light.

    Mr Simitis will travel to Rome and London in March, to meet with his Italian and British counterparts. Britain was the lone EU member that refused to approve an EU statement earlier this week on Greek- Turkish relations. Mr Simitis believes that statement was positive. He also hopes that by the time of the EU's intergovernmental summit later this year, Britain will also see things Greece's way, because the problem of Turkish provocations of Greece must be resolved not only for Greece's sake, but for the EU's.

    Mr Simitis also touched on Greek relations with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. He said Greece's position is that Fyrom cannot use the Greek name "Macedonia" in any form in its own permanent name. If there are any developments in negoatiations on that front, he promises to discuss the issue with the country's party leaders and the president.

    Mr Simitis was also asked about his position in Pasok, the party which Andreas Papandreou still leads.

    Mr Simitis told the press, he thinks he will be the one to lead Pasok into the next general election.

    Prime minsiter Kostas Simitis told the press that the question of whether or not Andreas Papandreou will ever return as prime minister has been definitively answered, and the answer is no.

    Andreas Papandreou made that decision himself, he explained, when he resigned.

    Papandreou remains Pasok president. Who will be party vice president, or party president if Papandreou steps down, will be decided at the party's congress thi summer.

    Mr Simitis would not say if he will throw his hat into the party ring, but he did say that he intends to head the Pasok ticket in the next national elections. He was elected prime minister on the understanding that he would have the party's support for the remaining two years of the current Pasok term, and for four more years following the next elections.

    Mr Simitis said he feels he's a strong prime minister despite the fact that he's not party president. He oesn't feel his power is curbed by that, and will not allow the months ahead be turned into a pre-electoral period before the Pasok congress.

    There are different views in Pasok, he said. My job is to synthesise those views. It's a time- consuming process, but it leads to everyone going ahead in unison.

    The prime minister was also asked about his government's plans for the economy. He said he will continue the austerity policies, that Pasok has followed until now.

    And he took a swipe at the Papandreou government, which preceded his.

    Mr Simtis said he has forged ahead with dialogue, with those feeling the economic pinch the worst, from retirees on low state pensions, to working people struggling to get by. He said the Papandreou government had promised to do that, but never did.

    The prime minister promised to work out a solution to the problem of low state pensions by the summer.

    More broadly, he promised to ease the problems of those feeling the economic crunch worst, through economic development.


    EVERT/RESPONDS

    The leader of New Democracy disagrees with the prime minister's view that he's moving forward with the economy.

    Responding to Mr Simitis' speech, Miltiadis Evert said, "40 days after the Simitis government took power, everything is stagnant in the public sector. Agriculture and small businesses face severe problems".

    Evert repeated his call to the government to speed up investments in the public sector, and to bring about "a change of mentality", so that private sector investment can pick up too.


    PAVLOS

    A high court has ruled that the Pasok government acted "unconstitutionally" in stripping the former Royal family, of its property in Greece.

    In 1994, Pasok passed a law depriving the Ex-Royals not only of their property, but of their Greek citizenship.

    As the court decision comes, Pavlos, the son of the former King of Greece, says he wants to return to Greece, and live on his family's estate.

    Greece's supreme court has ruled that the 1994 Pasok law is unconstitutional, because it is based on a 1973 order by the then-ruling military dictatorship. That order also stripped the former Greek royal family of its property.

    The majority opinion of 25 court members says all Junta laws and orders were abolished by the democratic constitution of 1974.

    The majority also says the Pasok move was unconstitutional because it was not accompanied by a court decision on how much money the former royals should get for their property.

    The court minority of 15 says it is right that the former royals' property be abolished, since with the abolition of the throne, there can be no royal property.

    The former royals are fighting to retain what they feel is their birthright.

    In an interview with the french magazine Paris Match, Pavlos says, "I miss Greece, its nature, the people, the wonderful food". He said "I miss Tatoy and it's smell, it's the only place I went back to."

    Tatoy is one of the Royal estates confiscated by the government. The Royal family fled Greece, after a military junta seized power in 1967. After the junta fell in 1974, the Greek people voted overwhelmingly to abolish the monarchy.

    Pavlos, the first born son of ex-King Constantine, last visited Greece, with his family, in 1993. It was a highly publicized trip.

    Several months later the Pasok government passed a law stripping the ex-Royals of their property and their citizenship.

    The government may say otherwise but Pavlos says "I'm Greek, I have had a greek education and I had tears in my eyes not when I arrived in Greece, but when I departed".

    Pavlos was married last summer to Marie Chantal Miller, in London. Currently living in the States, the couple is expecting their first child this summer.

    Ex-King Constantine is fighting the government's 1994 decision in Greek and European courts, calling it unconstitutional. Thursday, Greece's high court ruled in favour of the former royals on the property issue, by a vote of 25 to


    KARAMANLIS

    Konstantinos Karamanlis, has been out of the public eye since he stepped down as President of the Republic last year.

    But today reporters caught up with him, after he had his semi-annual check-up at an Athens hospital.

    Displaying his regular charm and wit, he told the curious reporters waiting for him: "I missed all of you."

    When they asked him how his check up went he said "I'm okay. Don't you think so". His doctors concurred.


    ALBANIA SCHOOL

    The burning of a school in southern Albania, attended by many members of Albania's Greek minority, is causing concern among community members.

    It is unknown who started the blaze that gutted the schoolhouse.

    But, for many Greek-Albanians, the fire highlights the difficulties they face in guaranteeing their children's right, to be educated in Greek.


    ANASTASIOS

    Greek Orthodox archbishop of Albania Anastasios says the bombing of a car, outside a Tirana supermarket Monday morning, is an attempt to disrupt Albania's smoothe progress, toward greater democracy and prosperity.

    Five people were killed in the blast, and 30 others injured. Officials do not know who is responsible for the attack.

    Anastasios says the church "condemns every form of violence and terrorism, because they are in opposition to God's will".

    He added, "We pray that God will shed more light on this matter, so we can learn soon who is trying to impede the country's march to freedom and stability".

    The archbishop said the church is committed to strengthening democracy, freedom, and brotherhood in Albania.


    PRISONS

    The justice minister says a riot at a prison in Patra is the result of a pre-meditated escape plan. Rioting continued into the second day, at Agios Stephanos prison in the port town.

    Inmates are are holding the prison warden and five other prison employees hostage.

    The search continues for four convicts who escaped from the institution during what started as a mass prison break Wednesday.

    The prisoners' demands are not clear. It is known that they want shorter sentences and more prison leave.

    Justice minister Evangelos Venizelos says overcrowding could also be behind the unrest. "Cells that were built for two or four prisoners now hold six or even ten".

    While the prison was built to hold 350 inmates, it houses 750. The government has promised to build new facilities, and has worked out an agreement that will allow hundreds of Albanian prisoners to serve out their sentences in Albania.

    Sources say Albanian inmates started an uprising at another prison today, in Corfu. Reports are that between 6 and 9 hostages are being held there.


    FARMERS

    Milk is quickly becoming the symbol of protest, for dairy farmers all over Greece.

    Milk was poured out, all over the nation, by protesting dairy farmers again Thursday.

    The county of Pella was added to the hit list. Dairy farmers rallied outside the county hall for several hours, and poured streams of milk outside the county offices.

    Farmers said they would like to send their milk over the nearby waterfall. If that doesn't get the government's attention, farmers say they would throw themselves over the waterfalls.

    Among other things, dairy farmers are protesting reduced government subsidies, and asking that the government limit dairy imports.


    KICKER/EVERT

    The Athens Academy has a new President. And today, the President of New Democracy welcomed the new leader on board.

    Miltiadis Evert lent in-coming President Yiangos Pesmatzoglou his support in the mission ahead.

    Evert praised the important role that the Athens Academy plays in promoting Greek views on important international issues, letters and culture. He urged others to support the Academy.

    The new Academy President called his conversation with Evert "productive".

    On his job ahead, Pesmetzoglou said that, with the support of all the political leaders, the Academy can achieve many things for the greek people".


    © ANT1-Radio 1996