Greece's Supreme Administrative Court, the Council of State, last night issued a provisional order suspending the shutdown of the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT S.A.) radio and television programmes, internet websites and inactivation of its frequencies, offering a basis for the settlement of the serious dispute which broke out last week.

The same court interim order stipulates that the broadcaster known as ERT S.A has ceased to exist as a legal entity.

The provisional order on the appeal brought by ERT staff for the resumption of the state broadcaster's services, requests that the minister of Finance and the Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister take all necessary measures to that effect, until the establishment and operation of the new corporation that will serve the public interest.

Earlier in the evening, PM Samaras met with coalition government partners, Evangelos Venizelos (PASOK) and Fotis Kouvelis (DIMAR), to discuss the issue, in the course of which proposals were discussed for overcoming the deadlock and overseeing the restructuring process.

According to statements by Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras at the end of the meeting, the decision of the Council of State foresees that the abolition of ERT and its Board is ratified, while a provisional programme is transmitted through a public corporation agency until the new one is set up. PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos noted that discussion focused on the policy agreement and the rules governing the operation of a tripartite government.

Commenting on the Council of State decision, he noted that no government should disrupt the operation of public broadcasting. On his part, Kouvelis said that he urged the Prime Minister to resume ERT's operations and expedite its restructuring. The three leaders agreed to continue talks concerning the public broadcaster and its restructuring tomorrow (June 19).