Prime Minister George Papandreou has declared the government’s intention of—among other things—reducing the budget deficit to the Maastricht limit of 3 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) within four years. The budget provides for a new deficit of 9.1 percent of GDP in contrast to 12.7 this year.

"Karamanlis or tanks." That was the choice that Konstantinos Karamanlis posed to Greeks in 1974 upon his return from self-imposed exile in Paris after the overthrow of the country's military Junta. The popular former Prime Minister's triumphant return to Athens to lead the country's transition back to democracy was followed by his sweeping election victory, and a place in history as one of modern Greece's great statesmen.