Greek PM Scrambling to Form Coalition

That may require his resignation soon
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 5, 2011 1:10 PM CDT
Greece PM Scrambling to Form Coalition
Greece's Prime Minister George Papandreou speaks during a meeting with Greek President Karolos Papoulias on Saturday.   (AP Photo/Kostas Tsironis)

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has been busy shuttling around all day in a bid to put together a coalition government—so it can ratify the nation's European bailout and ease world markets—but the results so far are just more "political uncertainty," according to the New York Times. Opposition leader Antonis Samaris won't budge, insisting he will not join any coalition led by Papandreou and reiterating his call that the prime minister resign.

Tomorrow could be pivotal, with Papandreou and Samaris scheduled to meet in person. Both the BBC and Wall Street Journal think Papandreou will agree to step aside and cede control of a coalition government to a third party, probably finance chief Evangelos Venizelos. It's possible the new government could be in place by Monday, ahead of meeting of euro-zone finance officials in Brussels. Click to read about Papandreou's close call in a confidence vote yesterday. (More Greece stories.)

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