The Greek parliament will give the government a mandate to negotiate with creditors for a cash-for-reforms deal, the parliamentary spokesman of the ruling Syriza party told reporters on Friday.
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has called a snap vote in parliament on Friday asking for its backing to negotiate a list of "prior actions", measures his government would take to convince creditors of its intent for an aid deal.
“We were given the mandate to strike a better deal not to lead Greece out of the euro zone” Tsipras said.
“At the moment we are facing crucial decisions. What matters now is Syriza to remain united and coherent in front of these crucial decisions. We will either stay together or leave together. I will not become a new Papademos” the Greek prime said referring to Lucas Papademos, the technocrat, who was leading a provisional government in the wake of the Greek debt crisis and implemented the austerity policies demanded by the country's creditors.
There were fears that new plan, which includes concessions the left-leaning government of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras had previously refused to accept, would face opposition from hardliners in Syriza party as well as its junior coalition ally Anel (Independent Greeks).
Panagiotis Lafazanis, the leader of SYRIZA’s hard-line left wing “Left Platform” and Minister of Productive Reconstruction, Energy and Environment is extremely suspicious of the new bailout plan. Sources within the government said to iefimerida.gr, on condition of anonymity, that Lafazanis is expected to support the deal. Nevertheless the same sources do not exclude the possibility for elections to be called on September.
Upon arriving to the SYRIZA parliamentary groups meeting, interior minister Nikos Voutsis expressed his confidence that an agreement between Greece and its creditors will be reached.
Culture Minister Nikos Xydakis and State Minister Alekos Flampouraris were more reserved, with the former noting “we have a very tough Germany ahead of us, we must see how we will survive within this very difficult framework”, while the later stated that an agreement “does not just depend on us”.
Asked if there would be a deal, Nikos Filis told journalists: "Certainly. Today we are speaking in parliament."