Greek lawmakers approve emergency agreement with the EU – Aftenposten

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras secured enough votes to get the deal approved Friday morning, even though the vote revealed a deepening rift in his party Syriza.

It is left in Syriza who rage against the conditions the government Tsipras had to accept to get a new emergency loans of 85 billion euros to avoid national bankruptcy.

Tsipras has whatever majority of the rescue package with the support of the conservative opposition, in addition to most of the SYRIZA MPs.

After nine hours of committee discussions and wrangling about the agenda did not discussion on the crisis program started before three forty-five Friday morning, according to BBC.

155 by MPs of Greece voted yes against 48 no and six members abstained from voting, writes Svenska Dagbladet.

Euro Meeting

Then we had parliament president Zoe Konstantopoulou, which is on SYRIZA left wing, rejected Tsipras’ request to speed up the deliberations so they could be finished before eurozone finance ministers scheduled to meet on Friday afternoon.

And when discussions about the agreement itself got started, it started with angry outbursts. The opposition threatened not to support the agreement on finance Euclid Tsakalotos kept coming with what they called provocative comments.

Tax Increases

The left wing is particularly welcomed Tsipras’ promises of tax increases and budget cuts in exchange for the new emergency loan from the EU, the International Monetary Fund IMF and the European Central Bank ECB.

Former Energy Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis leader rebel wing of Syriza and took in connection with the debate a first step towards a break with Syriza when he and eleven Syriza members announced that the fight against the new agreement now starting across the country.

Right touchline will not vote for confidence Tsipras

Greece’s conservative opposition will not vote for confidence in the government Tsipras in a vote on August 20.

Shortly after the Greek parliament Friday approved the rescue package with the support of the opposition, said the government that it would ask for a vote of confidence when the next installment of the ECB are due.

– Should New Democracy vote for confidence in the government? No chance, said the conservative representative Makis Voridis after the rescue package was approved.

The conservative opposition was crucial for the rescue package was approved when a number of members of the left wing of the ruling party Syriza voted against.

Tsipras only got the support of 118 of the 162 MPs. Thus he received support from fewer than 120 members needed for a minority government can continue.

It means that he must be seen several of those who voted against the approval of the rescue package, he will continue as Prime Minister after August 20th.

Published: 14.aug. 2015 9:20