ATHENS, July 16: Greek lawmakers have backed a deeply contentious bailout package, clearing the first hurdle towards securing a rescue hours before fresh talks between eurozone ministers but leaving the radical left government in Athens weakened.
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras managed to push through a series of unpopular reforms demanded by the country’s international creditors, while on the streets of Athens anti-austerity protests turned angry as protesters threw firebombs at police.
But the premier suffered a major mutiny within his radical left Syriza party — 32 out of 149 voted against the measures, and a further six abstained — and had to rely on the support of pro-European opposition parties.
A final count showed 229 members of parliament out of 300 voted in favour of the measures, which included sweeping changes to Greece’s taxes, pensions and labour rules.
Backing from the Greek parliament was a requirement for Athens to secure a third bailout worth up to 86 billion euros (USD 94 billion) from the EU, and means tough talks to finalise the long-awaited deal can begin in earnest.
Eurozone finance ministers will hold a call today to discuss next steps, hours before the European Central Bank’s governing council meets to discuss how to keep Greece’s banks from collapsing.
European governments are meanwhile divided over options to help Greece meet its short-term cash needs while it waits for the eurozone bailout deal to be finalised, which will likely take at least four weeks.
But for Greece to secure its new funds, it must win the approval of the domestic parliaments of several of the other 18 members of the eurozone, with all eyes in particular on EU powerhouse Germany when its lawmakers vote on Friday.
Tsipras is facing a broader revolt over the reforms as Syriza came to power in January on anti-austerity promises.
“I had specific choices before me: one was to accept a deal I disagree with on many points, another was a disorderly default,” he said in an impassioned speech to parliament before the vote.
“We will not back down from our pledge to fight to the end for the right of the working people,” he said, adding that “there is no other option but for all of us to share the weight of this responsibility”.
Many of Syriza’s hardline leftists voted against the measures, as did former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, the head of parliament Zoe Constantopoulou and Energy Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis.
Current Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos said during yesterday’s parliamentary debate that his decision to back the bailout terms was something that “will burden me my whole life”. (AGENCIES)
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