Coup talk ignores changes in Greece

Greeks have largely shrugged off suggestions that appeared in foreign media that the firing on Tuesday of top generals might have been aimed at thwarting a coup. The military is nowhere near the formidable political force that seized power in 1967 and held it for seven years.

Nevertheless, experts on Greek politics say the move could signal haste on the part of Prime Minister George Papandreou's cabinet to make sweeping changes before it loses office amid the deepening crisis over debt.

“To reshuffle the top brass is (something) typically done by outgoing governments, which appoint some of their own to top position before leaving power,” said Pepe Egger from the London-based consultancy Exclusive Analysis.

“We do not think that the move was indicative of increased coup risks, simply because the Greek army of today is not likely to even mull coup ideas,” he said.

Papandreou has come under mounting criticism from all sides after calling for a referendum on an EU bailout package intended to keep the country afloat.

He faces a confidence vote in parliament on Friday, and some in his own party have called for him to quit. Repeated waves of austerity have exacerbated Papandreou's problems, with protesting Greeks disrupting a national day parade on Oct. 28.

Papandreou's embattled Socialist government late on Tuesday replaced the heads of the army, navy, air force and the joint chiefs of staff while ordering another layer of senior army and navy officials into retirement.

Defense ministry officials described the move as a long-planned one to shrink the army at a time of spending cuts, but opponents said the timing was suspicious.

The axed military leaders were themselves appointed shortly before the last conservative government was ousted in 2009. The conservatives accused Papandreou of trying to stack the armed forces with loyalists before a possible government collapse.

“Yesterday as the government was being rocked by turmoil over the confidence vote and deputies were deserting it to become independent they thought it was the best time to make party appointments in the sensitive area of the armed forces,” said the opposition New Democracy's leader Antonis Samaraas.

Defense Minister Panos Beglitis told parliament on Wednesday there was no political motive to the timing of the shakeup. It had been due to take place in August, he said, but he had delayed it because of a flare-up in tensions with Turkey.

“When the tensions eased, we had an obligation to change the military leadership.”

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