Greek coalition fails to agree on ERT deal

ERT headquarters in Athens.Some 2,700 workers at state broadcaster ERT stand to lose their jobs

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Greece's governing coalition has again failed to agree on how to resume transmissions by state broadcaster ERT, shut down by the government last week.
Evangelos Venizelos, leader of junior partner Pasok, said there was now "an issue regarding the very existence... of the government".
PM Antonis Samaras wants to replace ERT with a smaller broadcaster.
Disagreement within the coalition over the issue has raised fears that the government might collapse.
'No common ground'
On Monday Greece's top administrative court ordered that ERT could resume transmissions.
However, correspondents say there have been varying interpretations of the ruling by the court, the Council of State.
Mr Samaras and his two junior coalition leaders - Fotis Kouvelis of the Democratic Left and Mr Venizelos - met for a third time on Wednesday to try to resolve their differences. Mr Kouvelis and Mr Venizelos want public broadcasts to be restored.
After the talks broke up, Mr Venizelos said the situation was now "particularly crucial", adding: "There is an issue regarding the very existence and prospects of the government."
Mr Kouvelis said there had been "no common political ground".
The government - led by Mr Samaras's conservative New Democracy party - shut down ERT describing it as "a case of an exceptional lack of transparency and incredible extravagance".
However, the two junior coalition partners were furious that they had not been consulted.
The move also triggered protests across the country.
The Council of State upheld Mr Samaras's plan to replace ERT with a smaller broadcaster but said it should resume transmissions in the meantime.
Despite the ruling the station remains off-air.
The court is due to reconvene to debate the issue.                 bbc

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