With votes from Nea Dimokratia and PASOK the austerity package has been approved by the parliamentary committee on Tuesday evening. Junior coalition government partner Democratic Left voted “present”, while SYRIZA, Independent Greeks, Golden Dawn and KKE voted against it.
The debate on the austerity package of 13.5 billion euro will start at the plenary of the Greek Parliament on Wednesday at 10 o’clock in the morning. while the voting will take place at night.
While the opposition parties will down vote the bill, the interest is focused on the behaviour of the MPs of the three parties of the coalition government, especially those from PASOK and Democratic Left.
According to Greek media, two MPs from PASOK are expected to down vote the bill, while the position of four more MPs remain to be seen.
In Democratic Left, the line of the party is to vote “present”. However two MPs will down vote the bill, while one may even vote in favor.
The government considers that the bill be pass with 154-155 votes. The simple majority of 151 votes is needed.
Really weird is the position of DEMLEFT that will not vote for the labour rights ‘reforms’ but it will keep supporting a government that will implement them.
While the debate and the voting will take place outside the Parliament thousands of Greeks are expected to demonstrate their anger. The protest will start at 5 p.m.
Greece is always good for surprises. I think, I’ve already said that…
http://www.people-in-need.com/latest-additions/
I just got this comment from an MEP, currently in the European Parliament, where Greece is being discussed
2 questions.
Firstly, how do the Greek MEPs know the vote will pass with a “fragile majority” or otherwise. OR has the vote already been taken and Greece is now being subjected to an even bigger charade than the magical mystery tour presneted by its government over the last few months?
Secondly, nice to know the MEPs know it’s blackmail. Anywhere in Europe, blackmail is a crime, irrespective of who does it. So why are the upstanding defenders of a free and democratic EU allowing this particular piece of blackmail to happen????
there is a party line in voting and therefore all parties are aware in advance more or less of the outcome befor eit happens.
Which is exactly where the whole system falls down. Introducing the “party line” is accepted as exonorating those in the party from having an opinion, leave alone a conscience.
It is the root cause of what I’ve very often said is wrong with the system, no accountability. Politicians are voted in by the people, and must be held accountable by the people. They must not be allowed to hide behind a “party line”. The reality is that a party is sponsored by pressure or lobby groups, and therefore becomes a mouthpiece for the interests of those sponsors. A true democracy does not cater for lobby groups, it caters for all living within the democracy, and those elected to enforce the democracy are elected to enforce it for all, not for their sponsors.
it’s not official blackmail, it’s …dilemma lol BTW: EU allowing this to happen? what a question! EU allows chronic-ill to die without medicine. And just heard that in Portugal, austerity bill cut medication for terminally ill.
You are reading me wrong. The EU is committing the crime. Those elected to uphold the principles of freedom and democracy within the EU (EP) are allowing this to happen. As the same MEP staid some time back, the European Parliament allowed its wings to be clipped through the take-over by the unelected, unaccountable European Commission. And what do the MEPs do? Sit on their hands, take the paycheque and shut up… Which is the essence of the message I got.