Greek PM dismisses talk of early election over TV closure Nobody wants it. The opposition Syriza party said Samaras's decision to close ERT was "the climax of his authoritarian policy" and urged Greeks to rally in Syntagma square in Athens on Monday at 8 p.m. (1700 GMT), where party leader Alexis Tsipras was to deliver a speech. The Communist-affiliated trade union PAME also called a rally near ERT's headquarters, where workers had been gathering since its closure. Opinion polls indicate that support for all three ruling parties has suffered since last year's election. "Moves aimed to impress, in violation of basic principles of parliamentary majority, are not reforms," Venizelos said. The decision to close ERT was made by ministerial decree, meaning that it could be implemented without reference to parliament. Greece has won praise from its 'troika' of international lenders - the International Monetary Fund, the European Union and the European Central Bank - for its efforts to get its bailout programme on track and German Chancellor Angela Merkel telephoned Samaras on Sunday to "pledge her support," her office said. "Now it is of clear importance to push through all troika agreements, including those with regard to the reform of the public service," it said in a statement. They have so far turned down a compromise involving rehiring a smaller number of staff to resume news broadcasts. The government says ERT's three domestic television channels and regional, national and external radio stations cost Greece 300 million euros a year. Many Greeks have long viewed the broadcaster as a wasteful source of patronage jobs for political parties, but the abruptness with which ERT was taken off air took many by surprise. Opinion polls suggest a majority oppose the move. Samaras argues that shutting down ERT is the only way to restructure the broadcaster, after previous attempts at reform failed. Additional reporting by Alexandra Hudson in Berlin; Editing by Kevin Liffey