Greek Alternate Agricultural Development Minister Maximos Harakopoulos, who had threatened to resign unless the government dropped a provision in a pending omnibus bill said he quit over it two weeks ago but will still vote for the measure.
Harakopoulos blasted Development Minister Costis Hatzidakis for “retreating” and giving in to the Troika of the European Union-International Monetary Fund-European Central Bank (EU-IMF-ECB) which demanded the reform which is in a single bill set for a vote in Parliament at midnight on March 30.
The government put all the reforms in a single bill so opponents of various measures wouldn’t be able to object to them and would have to vote the entire package up or down.
Prime Minister Antonis Samaras warned eight MPs from his ruling New Democracy Conservatives and its partner the PASOK Socialists who said they would vote against the bill over extending the shelf life of fresh milk and allow foreign competition to Greek dairy farmers they would jeopardize a pending nine billion euros installment and the government itself if they went ahead.
It was reported that most of them gave in and would support it. Harakopoulos said while he opposed the measure so much he resigned that he didn’t want to interrupt critical loans Greece needs nor topple the government which has only a slim majority in Parliament.
It wasn’t said if he had continued working in his post since quitting two weeks ago or if the resignation had been delayed from the date he submitted it.
It remains unclear whether the Larissa deputy, a member of New Democracy, will also resign from his seat in Parliament or become an independent MP.
Harakopoulos had from the start of the negotiations opposed the changes introduced to the fresh milk market, and appears to have not been satisfied with the last-minute amendments introduced.
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