EUROZONE-GREECE/VOTE-LAWMAKERS REAX Syriza lawmakers attempt show of unity despite government

Record ID: 146892

  • Title: EUROZONE-GREECE/VOTE-LAWMAKERS REAX Syriza lawmakers attempt show of unity despite government
  • Date: 16th July 2015
  • Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (JULY 16, 2015) (REUTERS) + NIGHT SHOTS + JOURNALISTS WAITING OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT FORMER FINANCE MINISTER, YANIS VAROUFAKIS, LEAVING PARLIAMENT AND BEING PURSUED BY JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER GREEK FINANCE MINISTER, YANIS VAROUFAKIS, SAYING: "I didn't vote against the government. (JOURNALIST SAYING: "YOU DID NOT VOTE AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT?") No
  • Embargoed: 31st July 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVACH81K072DLZDXZ1I0JJXYSC40
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: AUDIO QUALITY AS INCOMING
    Lawmakers from Greece's governing Syriza party were split during a crucial vote to pass austerity legislation on Thursday (July 16).
    The package of measures, which had to be approved to open talks on a new multibillion euro bailout, was passed with 229 votes and 64 against in the 300-seat chamber.
    But Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras required the support of pro-European opposition parties to push the measure through, leaving a question mark hanging over the future of his government.
    Among the 38 Syriza rebels was former Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, who denounced the bailout deal as "a new Versailles Treaty" -- the agreement that demanded unaffordable reparations from Germany after its defeat in World War One -- but insisted he did not vote against the government as he left the chamber.
    Greek Energy Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis said he would quit if Tsipras sought his resignation.
    "Alexis Tsipras is the prime minister of this country because of the will of the Greek people. We support him, we support the government, and even those of us who voted 'No' support the effort to exit the crisis," he said.
    One Syriza member of parliament, Ioannis Balafas, described the result as "positive".
    The main opposition party, New Democracy voted with the leftist government, in a move their acting leader Evangelos Meimarakis said was a duty to the country.
    "Parliament took the first important step towards a deal (with creditors), approving difficult measures. But the results of today's vote constitutes a serious division in the unity of Syriza's parliamentary group," a written statement by government spokesman Gabriel Salelaridis said.
    In exchange for funding worth up to 86 billion euros, Greece has accepted reforms including significant pension adjustments, hikes to value added tax, an overhaul of its collective bargaining system, measures to liberalise its economy and tight limits on public spending.
    It has also agreed to sequester 50 billion euros of publicly owned assets into a special privatisation fund to act as collateral on the deal.
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