Parliament and troika, yes to the plan of Athens. Today the Eurogroup – Il Sole 24 Ore

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This entry was posted on July 10, 2015 at 7:12.
The last change is the July 11, 2015 at 13:56.

ATHENS – All in a night full of dramatic twists and results to the wire. Greek parliament voted to 2/29 of the night between Friday and Saturday in favor of the plan of arrangement with creditors proposed by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. “Now the government has a strong mandate to deal with the creditors,” said the premier greek Alexis Tsipras at the end of the vote.
Just before 0:47 from Brussels to the troika he approved the latest proposal submitted by Athens considering it good enough to be the basis of a new loan for 74 billion euro, of which 58 to 16 ESM and the IMF. With this so the document now goes to the Eurogroup, called for 15 today, for political approval.

The vote in Athens did not go smoothly. With no glaring defections of members of Syriza, the party of the extreme left of the premier Tsipras, Parliament has said yes to the plan of reforms and cuts from 13.5 billion euro in two years (3.5 in more than requested by creditors before the referendum last Sunday).
The package Tsipras did get through with a large majority, much wider than the one on which the government has: the yes were 251 out of 300 deputies, no 32 (including two members of Syriza) and 8 abstentions . Among these 90 pieces from the party of Prime Minister, from the President of the Parliament, Zoe Constantopoulou and Energy Minister and leader of the left wing of the party, Panagiotis Lafazanis. Both were limited to answering “present” at the time of voting, without express themselves then either for or against.
On paper Tsipras could count on his 149 deputies but at least 17 abstained (eight) or did not participate to vote (seven) and two were against; compact for yes instead the 13 members of the nationalist right Anel led by Panos Kammenos. In theory, without the vote of the opposition Tsipras she would go under. Excluding abstentions but those opposed to its formation have been only two plus seven who have not participated in the vote, for a total of nine. Less of twelve votes of the majority enjoyed by the government. Tsipras then was saved by a whisker but thanks to abstentions strategic Lafazanis and Costantopoulou, that he did not have the heart to sink the government after five months of exhausting negotiations with the troika.

The previous record of hours

The greek Parliament had gathered starting at 19 (the 18 Italian) to discuss and vote on the final plan submitted in Tsipras night from creditors. The law authorizing the government to negotiate a new agreement for financial assistance by the ESM (European Stability Mechanism), on the basis of proposals made by the executive, was passed in the joint meeting of the four parliamentary committees of Parliament. It followed the debate and the vote, well into the night.

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