Greek PM seeks coalition but faces calls to resign

The Greek Prime Minister has begun his attempt to form a broad coalition government after winning a crucial confidence vote in parliament.
 
George Papandreou has had talks with the country’s president, afterwards telling reporters that negotiations will “begin soon”.
 
But he did not say if he would remain in his job, after hinting that he was prepared to step down as Greece struggles to deal with its worsening debt crisis.
 
However, the country’s main opposition leader has repeated his demand that George Papandreou resign and snap elections be called. Antonis Samaras says he would then accept a coalition that can deal with the debt crisis until elections can be called.
 
But what do people think about the idea of a grand coalition?
  
One Athens resident said: “Why cooperate? The Socialists have sunk to the bottom. Should Samaras (the main opposition leader) sink to the bottom with the rest of them? Would you ever work with someone who hates you. That is stupid.”
 
A man said: “The finance minister went in and negotiated and now the country will go bankrupt. How can I be optimistic? They have no idea what they’re doing. They should all be hung.”
 
Papandreou says a lack of consensus on Greece’s financial bailout will “worry the country’s European partners about Greek membership of the euro zone”.
 
 
 

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