Greece: Socialist leader says no new taxes, focus on reform

Taxes will not be raised and reforms will be the main focus in the future Greek Prime Minister, Evangelos Venizelos, said Saturday.

Venizelos, who leads Greece's socialist PASOK party and was the country's former finance minister, also said that Greece would end its emergency loan agreement by 2015.

"Our programme foresees the gradual and safe exit from the memorandum in three years, by 2015 as I have suggested," the former finance minister said, according to AFP.

Venizelos' words came during a speech on the economy at Greece's largest bank headquarters in Athens just over a week before national elections.

He said that Greece would complete all its obligations under the international bailout package by 2015.

Reuters reported that the goals will be met by spreading targeted savings of 11.7 billion euros over three years instead of two.

"We can assure Greek citizens that returning to a normal life, to normal conditions- to decency, to safety – is near. It's almost upon us," he said, reported Reuters.

"The final countdown has already started. We have gone through the biggest chunk of a difficult and tough path. It's the final part that is left."

Venizelos was Greece's finance minister until he assumed the leadership of the socialist PASOK party last month.

Greece's national elections are scheduled for May 6.