Greek lawmakers are called to vote the second set of required reforms on Wednesday, while several MPs of the ruling SYRIZA party openly express their disapproval.
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras tried to rally his party on Tuesday stressing that the reforms should pass so that international creditors can negotiate Greece’s third bailout package. The new deal could offer Greece about 85 billion euros in a three-year plan that would help the country avoid bankruptcy and exit the Eurozone, while at the same time kick start the stagnant Greek economy.
The reforms include changes to the civil code aimed at improving legal proceedings and new EU rules on saving failed banks. The prime minister is expected to get the package through parliament with the support of pro-European opposition parties New Democracy, PASOK and To Potami. However, there are numerous dissidents within Tsipras’ party who challenge his decision to sign the bailout deal that includes tax hikes and austere pension law reforms.
“Up until today I’ve seen reactions, I’ve read heroic statements but I haven’t heard any alternative proposal,” he said, addressing members of his party who ask him to back out of the deal and come to rift with creditors and Europe in general. Wednesday’s vote in parliament would follow last week’s vote on economic reforms and budget cuts, in which 39 MPs of the SYRIZA-ANEL coalition government voted against.
Tsipras has set a limit of 120 votes from the coalition. Below that, he has hinted that he may be forced to resign. In last week’s vote, 123 lawmakers voted for the bailout agreement and the omnibus bill passed with a total of 229 votes out of 300 parliament members.
Further negotiations are expected to begin immediately after Wednesday’s vote in parliament: officials from the troika of creditors – the European Commission, European Central Bank (ECB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) – are to arrive in Athens on Friday to start holding meetings with the government immediately.
Earlier this week, government spokeswoman Olga Gerovasili had said that the Greek government is expected to wrap up ongoing bailout talks with its lenders by August 20 – the deadline Greece has to repay 3.2 billion euros owed to the European Central Bank.
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