The Greek parliament will open a confidence debate on Tuesday morning, with the vote expected to occur on Wednesday night, parliamentary officials decided on Monday.
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras initiated the confidence-vote process on Sunday, sending a letter to the parliament’s president Nikos Voutsis asking him to make the necessary arrangements.
Tsipras announced that he would ask the parliament to renew its vote of confidence in the government after the Independent Greeks (ANEL) Party announced that it was withdrawing from its coalition with SYRIZA on Sunday.
ANEL expulsions
Independent Greeks (ANEL) Party leader Panos Kammenos announced that Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura and Deputy Agricultural Development and Food Minister Vassilis Kokkalis had been expelled from ANEL’s parliamentary group. This news came in the form of successive tweets posted on Monday.
Kammenos accused Kountoura, who had earlier declared her continued support for the government, of “trading her vote and the name ‘Macedonia’ for a ministerial chair.” The former foreign minister added that he was removing her from ANEL’s parliamentary group, effective immediately.
Shortly afterward, again via Twitter, Kammenos said he was firing Kokkalis, who had earlier officially announced his decision to support the current government with a vote of confidence.
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