Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-08-05

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] KKE leader criticises government, PASOK

[01] KKE leader criticises government, PASOK

Papariga said that the "two-party argument will exceed the boundaries of depravity we have known thus far", adding that both mainstream parties -- the ruling New Democracy (ND) party and main opposition PASOK -- "are dangerous in the pre-electoral period".

Referring to the government's announcements, Papariga said that they were being presented by ND as 'benefits' to specific categories of the population, but in actuality were "breadcrumbs", and were not accompanied by explanations as to where the money for those benefits would be found or whether the budget could withstand such benefits.

The KKE, she said, is radically opposed to the way in which the government's announcements were faced by PASOK and the Coalition of the Left, Movements and Progress (SYN).

Papariga added that the announcements (of benefits planned) contained in the ND and PASOK platforms and the talk about the minimum guaranteed income, minimum national pension, etc., the "benefits" that were being given to unmarried mothers, single-parent families, etc., "take us back to the era of 1950, when Frideriki (former queen) shared out booklets to the poor unwed young women and rode a donkey around the villages meting out such subsidies".

"This is exactly the rationale that they are moving along. That is why we say that they are degrading, ludicrous benefits, and also politically dangerous," she said.

Turning to the social insurance system reforms, Papariga said that the government was concealing the fact that there will be radical changes to the system -- "and this holds true all over Europe for the same class reasons" -- according to which the retirement ages will increase, pensions will decline, insurance contributions will increase and, chiefly, "through the so-called reforms and modernisations in education, health and all the other social sectors, the working people will be paying more and the businessmen will be earning even more".

She predicted that over the coming years the collective labour agreements will be abolished, as has taken place in many other countries in Europe, flexible employment and part-time employment will be extended, and consequently the minimum national pension was being introduced to supposedly answer the question of how the people who are 40 or 35 years old or younger to day will be able to live.

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