No cabinet reshuffle (yet) in Greece, LAOS blasts Merkel

Greece's technocrat Prime Minister Lucas Papademos will not announce a cabinet reshuffle on Friday, a government official said, playing down speculation of an imminent reshuffle after one minister and five deputy ministers stepped down over an unpopular bailout package which includes unpopular wage and pension cuts.
"There will be no reshuffle today," said the official prior to a cabinet meeting later on Friday.
The Socialist party PASOK appealed to lawmakers to back a bailout package needed to avoid default, after the smaller, far-right LAOS party in the government refused to vote in favour of the unpopular rescue.
"In the crucial parliamentary votes ahead, the national interest requires a responsible stance and positive vote by all lawmakers so that the country can safely get out of the crisis," party spokesman Panos Beglitis said in a statement.
Deputy Foreign Minister Marilisa Xenogiannakopoulou has quit, follows similar resignations by the socialist deputy labour minister and four far-right ministers.
Far-right LAOS leader George Karatzaferis refused to support the national unity government by backing a tough EU/IMF international bailout, and launched a furious attack on Germany for trying to dominate the troubled nations of southern Europe. He accused Chancellor Angela Merkel of playing poker with Greece's future.
With elections due as soon as April, Karatzaferis said his party could not vote in parliament for a rescue which demands a heavy price in wage, pension and job cuts – breaking ranks with Papademos and leaders of the much larger socialist and conservative New Democracy parties in the three-month-old government.
"We were robbed of our dignity, we were humiliated. I can't take this. I won't allow it," said Karatzaferis, a one-time body builder, modelling agency owner and radio broadcaster.
LAOS, which has slipped in the polls since it joined the government last November, has 15 deputies in the 300-seat parliament. This means it cannot prevent the 130 billion euro bailout from being passed when parliament votes, possibly on Sunday or Monday, unless there is major dissent in the other parties.
Karatzaferis tried to tap into discontent with Germany, which would fund much of the bailout but has taken a tough line on the need for the Greeks to accept hard austerity measures.
"The European Union is suffering under Germany," he said. "Germany decides for Europe because it has a fat wallet and with that fat wallet it rules over the lives of all the southern countries."
"Decisions aren't taken in Brussels but from a tower in Berlin, from where Merkel cooperates with her satellite countries, Netherlands, Austria, Finland and, unfortunately, also Luxembourg."
He accused Merkel of playing a dangerous game of poker.
"Greece can't go bankrupt… If Greece falls, it will drag many countries with it, in the end even the whole of Europe… Ms. Merkel has a pair of fives and pretends she has four aces."
Karatzaferis also asked for a government reshuffle and a cabinet of technocrats.
He added that the IMF's top official for Greece, Poul Thomsen, should be banned from the country.
"If we want things to go forward, Poul Thomsen must be declared persona non grata for Greece," he said.