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NEW economic reforms imposed on Greece by creditors are going to fail, according to the country’s outspoken former finance minister.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel ruled out “a classic haircut” – a markdown of Greece’s debts.

The first big development Friday was the news that German lawmakers, in the wake of their Austrian counterparts, voted 439-119 in favor of opening detailed discussions on the bailout package.

Dimitris Vitsas was appointed new alternate defence minister, replacing Costas Isichos, another SYRIZA lawmaker who voted against the agreement. But nearly a fifth of Merkel’s conservatives voted “no” in a blow to the chancellor.

“All that was missing was Merkel making refugee children cry”, Belarusian-born writer Evgeny Morozov tweeted.

Oskar Groening, defendant and former Nazi SS officer dubbed the “bookkeeper of Auschwitz”, listens to the verdict during his trial in Lueneburg, Germany, July 15, 2015.

Several sources said there was consensus among the other 18 ministers around the table during the “exceptionally difficult” talks that the leftist government in Athens must take further steps to convince them it would honor any new debts.

The eurozone turned the screw after finance ministers finished two days of intense talks on Greece’s reform proposals drawn up to satisfy its global creditors – the EU, the European Central Bank and the global Monetary Fund.

Lawmakers in the Greek parliament overwhelmingly backed a package of economic reforms and further austerity measures, in the hope that it would convince European creditors to back a third bailout of the country.

Added by Ankur Sinha on.