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When the Parliament last voted in July on opening new bailout negotiations with the leftist-led government of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, 60 of Merkel’s MPs went against her. In a test vote on Tuesday ahead of the debate, 56 members of her bloc voted against the package...

A breakdown showing the number of dissenters within Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrat-led bloc was scheduled to be released on Wednesday.

The new three-year bailout package – Greece’s third bailout in little more than five years – is worth a total of 86 billion euros ($96 billion), and the gradual disbursement of funds depends on the Greek government implementing a series of reforms, including...

“I call for a strong mandate for a stable government, ” Tsipras declared, noting that the approved bailout program includes measures to reduce the burden of the recession that will be brought on by the anticipated austerity plan. Elections will be held within a month, with...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted Ranil Wickremesinghe as he tweeted: “Congratulations & best wishes to Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe on being sworn-in as Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister”. The president became a key factor in the parliamentary election with...

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.

In a live televised address to the nation, the 41-year-old premier said he had worked hard to secure the best possible rescue package for his country, but he now needed a clear new mandate from the Greek people after it cost him his parliamentary majority.

According to media reports, if Meimarakis fails, Greece could hold snap parliamentary elections as early as on September 20.

Mr Tsipras had delayed a decision on whether to call a new election until after Greece received its first instalment from the new bailout and made a debt repayment to the European Central Bank; it did both on Thursday.

But the bailout is conditional on Greece imposing stringent spending cuts and tax hikes – the very measures Tsipras won elections in January vowing to repeal.

The formation of the Laiki Enotita, or Popular Unity party, was announced by 25 Syriza members, hours after Tsipras stepped down as prime minister in a calculated action to consolidate power in a new election.

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.

ING Bank’s Paolo Pizzoli said Mr Tsipras was deliberately challenging opponents within Syriza, adding that should he fail to win an outright majority, any coalition would be likely to have a pro-bailout stance.

“He said he was forced to do so because a majority of Greeks wanted to stay in the eurozone, and this could not be achieved in any other way. The move to go to elections allows Tsipras to clarify things, and to separate his government from the dissidents”, commented...

The Greek constitution stipulates that when a government resigns, the president should ask the second and third biggest parties – now the centre-right New Democracy and the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn – to try to form a new administration.