GREECE - Prime Minister George Papandreou dodged a hurled shoe as he pledged his commitment to Greek economic reform at the 75th Thessalonica International Trade Fair.
Mr Papandreou used the event on Saturday to confirm his socialist party’s adherence to austerity reforms and his government’s need change local values and international perceptions, calling on all social groups to back the collective effort.
However, his words incurred the wrath of one disgruntled doctor, who whipped a shoe at him shouting: “traitor, you are not a patriot”. The shoe missed.
Continuing his annual policy address at the trade show, Mr Papandreou promised that “together we will fundamentally reshape the country and exit from the crisis that brought us to the brink of catastrophe.
“We have given a tough, titanic and constant battle to save the country from bankruptcy for 11 months," he said. "That has required hard sacrifices from all Greeks, and it needs to continue."
Mr. Papandreou used his time at the show to focus on Greece’s growth and investment, saying that "from 2011 undistributed corporate profits will be taxed at 20 per cent, down from the current 24 per cent." Greece is looking for combined private and public investments of US$56.4bn by 2015.
