- Title: EUROZONE-GREECE/LAWMAKERS ARRIVALS Greek lawmakers arrive for emergency session
- Date: 14th August 2015
- Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (AUGUST 13, 2015) (REUTERS) + NIGHT SHOTS + ENTRANCE TO GREEK PARLIAMENT VARIOUS OF MEDIA AT ENTRANCE PASOK PARTY LAWMAKER, KOSTAS SKANDALIDIS, ARRIVING FOR SESSION STATE MINISTER, ALEKOS FLAMBOURARIS, ARRIVING AND SAYING "We shall see, we shall see" FORMER FINANCE MINISTER, YANIS VAROUFAKIS, ENTERING PARLIAMENT (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) LABOUR MINISTER, GEORGE KA
- Embargoed: 29th August 2015 13:00
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- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA58KZSRPEIGO9HXYPO2HK0HKMY
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Greek lawmakers arrived late on Thursday (August 13) and early on Friday (August 14) for a much-delayed emergency plenary session to vote on the bailout deal just hours ahead of a Eurogroup of finance ministers, as Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' Syriza party looked set to split after the leader of its far-left faction called for a new movement.
Days after striking a deal with foreign creditors, Tsipras is asking parliament to approve a bailout agreement that pledges tax rises and spending cuts in exchange for 85 billion euros ($95 billion) in fresh loans. It would be Greece's third financial rescue programme in five years.
Lawmakers are expected to vote in the coming hours. The bailout agreement is expected to pass in the assembly by a comfortable margin since opposition parties have promised their backing for the government to ensure Greece does not return to financial chaos.
Once the bill is passed, the eurozone finance ministers still have to approve the deal for aid to be disbursed before Athens must make a 3.2 billion euro debt payment to the European Central Bank on Aug. 20.
"I think we will have the best possible outcome. Listen, in such difficult and complicated circumstances, we need two things in order for the 62 percent who voted to reject the bailout in the referendum to get what they want: a strong parliamentary majority and a strong left," said Labour Minister, George Katrougalos, as he entered parliament.
The vote will test the strength of a rebellion by anti-austerity Syriza lawmakers, which could raise pressure on Tsipras to call elections as early as September.
Main opposition New Democracy party lawmaker, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, expressed his doubts about the sustainability of a government dependent on the votes of the opposition.
"Syriza is a divided party, there's no doubt about that, and it's also pretty clear to me that this situation cannot continue for very long, Mr. Tsipras needs to be very clear today regarding how he's going to implement the program, given that technically he has lost his governing majority, so I'll be waiting for his speech with great interest," said Mitsotakis, whose party have said they will vote in favour of the bailout loan.
Tsipras has faced a rebellion among about a quarter of his 149 lawmakers since agreeing last month to the bailout deal under the threat of a banking collapse and eurozone exit.
"I will not vote for the third bailout. I think the government should never have proposed it. I think that they should withdraw it, even now at the last minute, and they should cancel all the previous measures," said former deputy labour minister, Dimitris Stratoulis, who was replaced after voting against the government.
Tsipras is expected to tighten his grip over most of Syriza when the party holds a special congress to debate its differences, after which he is widely expected to call early elections to seal popular support for the deal. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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