Rebels Within SYRIZA Form New Group in Greek Parliament

But, he’s previously proclaimed his loyalty to Tsipras and current finance minister Tsakalotos, who he considers “good friends” and said he enjoys the life of a backbench MP.

“The Greek Prime Minister Tsipras’s move to step down and call snap early elections on 20 September could elevate programme implementation concerns and, potentially, puts future official sector disbursements at risk”, it said in a statement.

It is debt-wracked Greece’s third bailout in five years. Mr Pavlopoulos cannot call an election until after he has asked the other major parities if they can form a government.

But the deal came with strict terms for more belt-tightening.

Vangelis Meimarakis, leader of the opposition New Democracy Party, said on Thursday he would try to form a new government to avoid a third election in as many years, but with just 76 members in the 300-seat parliament, the bid is unlikely to succeed.

“The political mandate of the January 25 elections has exhausted its limits and now the Greek people have to have their say”, Mr Tsipras said. By jumping forward in the electoral timeline, Tsipras may be able to salvage control of the government by playing to his supporters before the harshest batch of austerity measures are implemented.

On Thursday, Tsipras submitted his resignation to President Prokopis Pavlopoulos and discussed for an election date as early as possible.

Political analysts in Athens expressed doubts whether Meimarakis’ or Lafazanis’ attempts will end conclusively, seeing the early elections as rather inevitable.

It was the biggest rebellion within the ruling party since Tsipras came to power in January.

“These elections, whenever they are announced by the government, will provide a stable governing solution”.

The second idea is to hold the elections later in October so that the government passes some bailout policies through the parliament first, on time for the first assessment by creditors that will pave the way for the discussion on the Greek debt relief.

Without a parliamentary majority, Tsipras was essentially hamstrung.

In an address to the nation, Mr Tsipras said that he would shortly meet with the “president of the republic” and present his and his government’s resignation. Both had opposed a new bailout deal, with Ms Konstantopulou highly critical of her former ally Mr Tsipras.

After months of contentious negotiations with Greece’s creditors – its European neighbors, the European Central Bank and the worldwide Monetary Fund – Tsipras agreed to more tax increases and pension cuts.