Countdown for bringing the measures to parliament

Despite the refusal of the Democratic Left to vote for the labour measures, Maximos Mansion has started the countdown for bringing all the measures in parliament.

DIMAR is asking the prime minister to withdraw the labour measures or bring them for a vote later. Alternatively it requests they not come as a single article so it can vote on the financial package and differentiate itself as concerns labour issues. Otherwise it has clarified it will not vote. It leaves one way out only, and that is if the Troika agrees to many changes that would actually amount to an indirect withdrawal of its proposals. "Only in such a case will we vote," one of Kouvelis’ partners said.

But Maximos Mansion has a different plan. It clarifies that within the next week, it will deposit the multi-bill under the procedures of urgency. It rejects the demand to file it in more articles because then the discussion would create more tension, leaks and confusion among members of the opposition and among the people. Besides, Finance minister Yannis Stournaras said that in such a case, he would have to file fifteen more articles requested by the members of PASOK. While publicly he is stating that the package is finalized, the government headquarters will continue to negotiate in order to achieve the greatest possible concessions on the Troika’s part in order to persuade DIMAR too.

ND believes that within the next few days, the pressure on Kouvelis’ party will increase because of the events and hope that eventually he will change his stance not to jeopardize the disbursement of the tranche of 31.5 billion euros and the country’s place in the Eurozone. There are fears that if DIMAR insists on this stance, it can entrench members from PASOK and ND as well. But the Troika is holding tough too: on one hand it requires that all three parties adopt the measures and on the other it is threatening if all of them do not accept the labour package, it will deny that there is an agreement.

Urgent Eurogroup for Greece next Wednesday 

European economic and political leaders are thinking of an urgent Eurogroup meeting, probably next Wednesday, especially for the Greek issue as developments in negotiations between the Greek government and its lenders have not yet allowed the Troika to complete its report on Greece.

Thus, they postponed the Euro Working Group that was scheduled for today, Friday, to give the Troika more time to complete the report.