Parliament of the Absurd: Austerity Bill passed with 154 votes

With 154 votes the omnibus bill with 1000+1 austerity measures was approved late on Friday night. In the first important vote after the elections, SYRIZA-ANEL coalition government did not manage to persuade all of its lawmakers to vote in favor. The ‘defiant’ MP was from ANEL.

White nights in Parliament: Labor Minister, Finance Minister, Prime Minister

Also against the bill voted the MPs of major opposition New Democracy, PASOK, To Potami, Centrists’ Union, Golden Dawn and KKE.

GD and KKE did the obvious because they have been against the new Memorandum of Understanding form the beginning.

But ND, PASOK and to Potami? These were the political parties that were putting immense pressure to PM Alexis Tsipras in summer to “sign the agreement with creditors at any cost and any sacrifice.” These were the parties that also voted in favor of the 3. bailout agreement in July and August.

I suppose, that ND and PASOK have now joined the resistance front against the creditors and the austerity!? Yes, these two parties that have signed all agreements with the creditors since 2010, implemented half of their obligations and left a legacy for a 3.bailout consisting at two-thirds of what they did not do.

Some Greeks call this behavior “hypocritical”, others speak of  the “Parliament of the Absurd”. My cat said that “the opposition had to honor its name” and she walked away soft-pawed, tail straight high.

Yes, we are in Greece. Still.

PS on the sideline of parliamentary debate yesterday, Tsipras underlined many times that his government will combat corruption and clientelism. And he announced that the government will pass a law to give extension for the investigation of the names on the famous Lagarde List. Investigation time expires end December 2015. Tsipras will give controllers one more year.