People gather outside the state broadcaster ERT’s headquarters in northern suburbs of Athens, June 19, 2013.
Greece’s Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has failed to reach an agreement with his junior allies regarding the future of state broadcaster ERT.
On Thursday, conservative Samaras organized the third meeting in a week with his coalition partners –the leaders of the Socialist Pasok and the moderate left Democratic Left- in a bid to end the political deadlock due to the government’s decision to close the broadcaster.
“There was no agreement. For us it is a matter of democratic legality… We disagree with actions that offend legality,” said Fotis Kouvelis, leader of junior partners Democratic Left.
Pasok, Evangelos Venizelos, the leader of socialists, also said after the meeting that, Å“The situation for our country is again particularly critical.”
“What matters to us is to restore the operation of democratic institutions,” he added.
After Thursday’s meeting, the premier called on his cabinet to organize an emergency gathering, and Kouvelis and Venizelos also called emergency meetings with their parties.
Athens announced the surprise closure of ERT on June 11. The move, which is part of the Greek government’s unpopular austerity measures, has left the ERTâ„¢s nearly 2,700 staff suspended.
On June 17, Greece’s top administrative court told the government to restore public broadcasts.
Samaras also had a three-and-a-half hour meeting with the leaders of the Socialist Pasok and the moderate left Democratic Left on Wednesday over the future of the ERT.
The prime ministerâ„¢s coalition partners have called for the immediate restoration of ERT broadcasts, but Samaras has refused to reinstate it in its old form.
IA/HN
This article originally appeared on: Press TV