Tsipras: Tripolar corruption system

Tsipras, insisted that corruption in Greece remained rife and that not enough has been done to curb it by the current government. The  main opposition leader  said criminal charges should be brought against certain politicians over state bank losses, putting the damage to public coffers from recapitalization in the region of 25 billion euros.

"It is a tripolar system," he said. "It is primarily the corrupt system of power, and the governing parties, that guide graft, then it is the banks who gave loans without guarantees, and thirdly come the organizations which control the media."

Referring to reports that Finance Minister Yiannis Stournaras is interested in the position of the Bank of Greece governor, Tsipras told to Finance Minister  in English " Yiannis forget it "  and called on the government "to suspend all planning and action that binds the next government, which will be that of SYRIZA."

"Slow down, Mr Tsipras," Stournaras replied, adding that "the government has a long way to go." Regarding reports on public debt, Stournaras repeated that Greece was paying 12 billion euro interest rates in 2012 compared to 6 billion euros in 2013, stressing that this was achieved through negotiations.

"We haven't sold out to anyone and we won't sell out to anyone," Stournaras said, noted "the Greek government with its systematic initiatives implemented a very ambitious recapitalization programme, which protects the country's banking system and protects Greek depositors,"

"Then, the Bank of Greece announced the capital needs of each bank and asked them to raise their own capital by the end of April 2013. The Financial Stability Fund allocated 25.5 billion euros - and not 40 billion euros, as you mentioned - to cover the capital increases of the four systemic banks, while the remaining capital was covered by domestic and foreign private investors," Stournaras added.

"After this coordinated effort, we are facing today a completely different situation," Stournaras concluded.