Greek government secures votes to pass bailout in parliament

The bill on the rescue deal passed just in time for Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos to head to Brussels to meet his counterparts from the 19-country currency union in the hope of getting their seal of approval as well.

But the vote laid bare the depth of anger within Tsipras’s leftist Syriza party at austerity measures in exchange for 85 billion euros in aid, as 43 lawmakers – or almost a third of Syriza deputies – voted against or abstained.

Germany, which has reservations about okaying the debt accord, has suggested just giving Greece a bridging loan to allow it to repay debt falling due August 20 to the European Central Bank, an option Greek Premier Alexis Tsipras says will only prolong the crisis.

A senior lawmaker, Makis Voridis from the opposition New Democracy party immediately said his party would not vote in favour of the government, raising the odds that the government could be toppled.

Greece’s Kathimerini newspaper on Saturday counted almost 40 measures on tax, competition, social security and pensions that must be voted through and brought into force by the end of the year.

Still, some of those who rebelled on Friday could still opt to support the government in a confidence vote, as could other pro-European parties such as the centrist Potami and the center-left PASOK, leaving the final outcome unclear.

“We welcome the successful vote in the Greek Parliament this morning”, said German Foreign Ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer, whose country has been the single largest contributor to Greece’s previous two bailouts and is the country’s harshest critic.

Some 26 billion euros will be made available in the first disbursement, including 10 billion euros for a fund to recapitalize Greek banks, according to a Eurogroup statement.

Defending the bailout, Mr Tsipras insisted: “We took the decision to remain alive instead of committing suicide and complaining how unfair it was”.

The worldwide Monetary Fund (IMF) on Saturday called on eurozone leaders to offer debt relief to Greece, following the approval of a new third bailout deal.

Another Syriza MP, Panagiotis Lafazanis, told Mr Tsipras: “I feel ashamed for you”.

The French finance minister spoke just hours after Greek lawmakers endorsed a new bailout package after a long debate, which will require Athens to enact tough and unpopular reforms in return for another loan.

Tsipras has consistently pushed for debt relief for Greece, but creditors have resisted. However, he added this was an issue to be discussed later in the year as previously agreed.