February 12, 2012
Greek lawmakers on Sunday began discussing a deeply unpopular austerity package aimed at averting a default in the face of resistance from the two remaining parties in premier Lucas Papademos’s national unity caretaker government.
The €3.3bn package of cuts is expected to pass. The coalition has a majority of more than 50 in the 300-member parliament, but political leaders would then have to sign up in writing to implement the measures in order for a new €130bn bail-out to be approved by Greece’s European partners.
The EU and IMF say they will not release aid without commitments by the main party leaders that reforms will be implemented, whoever wins an election in April.
George Karatzaferis, the rightwing leader and junior coalition partner, pulled out of the government on Friday saying he could not support measures that undermined the country’s sovereignty, but said his 16 deputies could vote as they wished.
Eleven socialist and conservative deputies said they would vote against the measures when the debate ends at midnight on Sunday, while six cabinet ministers and undersecretaries have resigned.
But Antonis Samaras, the conservative leader, and presumptive next prime minister, told his deputies to back the package or face expulsion from his New Democracy party.
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