Greek MPs overwhelmingly support bailout deal
The vote has splitting the ruling Syriza party and threatens its hold on power.
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Centrist and conservative MPs in the Greek Parliament helped give a big majority to the third bailout package agreed with eurozone ministers earlier this week.
The vote was carried by 229 votes 32 in the 300-seat Parliament, with the noes coming from within Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ left-wing Syriza party,
Among those were former finance chief Yanis Varoufakis.There were six abstentions.
The measures securing a fresh bailout include steep spending cuts and tax increases, along with radical changes to the Soviet-style Greek economy.
The split in Syrizia is likely to bring a cabinet shake-up – three ministers voted against the bailout package – and it remains a possibility Mr Tsipras will call for a new election just six months after the one that swept him to power.
The vote came hours after the European Commission proposed a fix to Mr Tsipras’ other immediate challenge: how to pay a €4.2 billion ($9 billion) payment due to the European Central Bank on Monday.
To cover that and Greece’s other most pressing bills, the commission called for giving Athens a €7 billion bridge loan from a European Union bailout fund.
Nevil Gibson
Thu, 16 Jul 2015
Thu, 16 Jul 2015
© All content copyright NBR. Do not reproduce in any form without permission, even if you have a paid subscription.
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Greek MPs overwhelmingly support bailout deal
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