Greek MPs are poised to hold a vote of confidence in the government of Alexis Tsipras after Leftist party rebels deserted the prime minister over the punishing terms of a third international bail-out agreement.
Syriza’s energy minister Panos Skourletis said it was now ‘self evident’ that parliamentarians would decide on whether or not to continue supporting the government after a ‘deep wound’ had been inflicted on the ruling coalition.
‘We have no confidence in the Tsipras-Kammenos government ‘
Lawmakers voted to ratify a 30-page ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ to keep the country in the eurozone for the next three years on Friday.
But the terms of the deal, which roll back a number of key pledges from the anti-austerity government, have split the ruling party. Mr Tsipras failed to get the backing of at least 120 of his own MPs, a constitutional threshold that could oblige him to trigger a vote in his leadership.
In a detailed evisceration of the austerity measures, former rebel finance minister Yanis Varoufakis denounced the agreement as encapsulating ‘the Greek government’s humiliating capitulation’.
‘Greek sovereignty is being forfeitedWHOLESALE’ he said. ‘Not since the Soviet Union has wishful thinking, unsupported by anything tangible, posed as policymaking.’
This post was published at David Stockmans Contra Corner on August 18, 2015.
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