CORFU Homme Nike Air VaporMax LACELESS Pure Platinum Blanche Pas Cher , Greece, July 24 (Xinhua) -- After five years of harsh austerity and remarkable adjustment achieved in fiscal balances, now is high time for Greeks to get united and focus on reforms, former Greek Prime Minister and Socialist International President George Papandreou told Xinhua in a recent interview.
Papandreou, who just assumed office when the Greek debt crisis broke out in late 2009 Homme Nike Vapormax Noir Pas Cher , has argued right from the start that Greeks "should use the crisis as an opportunity to change the country."
His term -- and his reform efforts -- ended abruptly in 2011 when he called a referendum on the country's course. Four years later, Greece is still lagging on reforms and the new left-led government of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras pledges sweeping changes in exchange for further international financing under a third bailout program in order to keep the country afloat and in the euro zone.
"I believe that initially the government was focusing on the details of the memorandum (of understanding between the troika and the greek government) rather than looking in the deeper issues. Now that they have decided to further continue this program I hope they will focus on the reforms. Now is the time to do so," Papandreou told Xinhua on the sidelines of the 16th annual Symi Symposium hosted by the Andreas Papandreou Foundation on the island of Corfu this week.
"On whether they will be able to do this alone, I believe we need some form of a wider consensus," the former premier and leader of the newly founded Movement of Democratic Socialists said Nike Air VaporMax Plus Homme Noir Pas Cher , stressing that "we certainly need to work together to carry out these deep reforms in our country."
Papandreou welcomed as "positive development" the recent voting in the parliament.
On July 16, the Greek parliament passed with a very wide support the debt deal reached three days earlier at the euro zone summit and the first prior actions requested by creditors to unlock aid. On Thursday, the second round of prior actions was also approved with the support of opposition parties.
"Although it is a difficult program, the voting shows that now in contrast with the past we have much wider cooperation and consensus amongst the different political parties, which I think is a positive sign Air VaporMax Plus Homme Nike Triple Blanche Pas Cher ," Papandreou said.
Papandreou does not consider the third bailout program under discussion as the solution to the crisis, but argued it will give "a sense of stability, a sense that we will be able to hopefully return to the markets soon, and one more opportunity to make major changes and reforms."
The third memorandum is not enough to turn Greece into a much more sustainable economy, he said.