Tags: EU | Greece | Elections

Greek Party Leaders to Face off in Live Televised Debate

Greek Party Leaders to Face off in Live Televised Debate

Wednesday, 09 September 2015 12:36 PM EDT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The leaders of all but one of Greece's main political parties will hold a live televised debate for the first time in six years on Wednesday night before the country's Sept. 20 early election.

The Nazi-inspired Golden Dawn party has complained it hasn't been invited to the debate, despite being the third-largest party in opinion polls.

Golden Dawn politicians have been shunned by mainstream parties despite coming third in January's parliamentary elections. About 60 of its members, lawmakers and officials, including its leader Nikos Michaloliakos, are on trial on charges of running a criminal organization allegedly linked to brutal beatings of migrants and leftists, and to the August 2013 fatal stabbing of a Greek musician.

Michaloliakos remains under house arrest since his release from jail after being held for the maximum pre-trial limit of 18 months.

The debate later Wednesday between seven politicians will be held at the state-run ERT television channel. Questions from six journalists from the country's main national TV stations will be grouped into segments on the economy, education and health, migration and foreign policy. The politicians can also ask their rivals one question.

Next week's election will be the third time this year that Greeks have gone to the polls, after January's vote and a referendum called in July by then-prime minister Alexis Tsipras urging Greeks to reject creditor proposals for Greek reforms in return for bailout funds.

Tsipras resigned last month, triggering the election barely eight months into his four-year term after his signing Greece's third international bailout deal led to a rebellion within his radical left Syriza party.

Tsipras has argued he had no choice but to sign the deal, which will provide 86 billion euros over three years on condition Greece imposes more stringent tax hikes and spending cuts — the very measures which he had promised to abolish.

Syriza hardliners split and created their own anti-austerity party, headed by former energy minister Panagiotis Lafazanis who will participate in the debate.

A second debate between just Tsipras and main opposition conservative New Democracy head Vangelis Meimarakis is expected early next week.

© Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


Europe
The leaders of all but one of Greece's main political parties will hold a live televised debate for the first time in six years on Wednesday night before the country's Sept. 20 early election.The Nazi-inspired Golden Dawn party has complained it hasn't been invited to the...
EU,Greece,Elections
350
2015-36-09
Wednesday, 09 September 2015 12:36 PM
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