Debate in the Greek Parliament is continuing at 7:30 p.m. when the voting ought to have taken place one and a half hour earlier. But that’s usual in such debates that are not debates but rather the government defending the austerity measures and the opposition lashing out at the government, thus without bringing constructive solutions.
However, I must admit that main opposition New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis made the difference today and made the proposal of
3.5% Primary Surplus over a period of 15 is impossible, therefore 2% would be manageable and 4% growth. He said that this can be achieved with “reforms” and “competitiveness” and stick to the “leave:hiring scheme of 1:5” in public sector.
Then, I was not able to listen further because
a. I was exhausted after a long list of “decorative adjectives” he had counted against the government repeating 1,537 times that the SYRIZA-ANEL has to go.
b. I was hungry and had to take care of the pizza in the oven. I had been following the debate since 12 noon Sunday and it was between 4:30 and 5 p.m.
One has to contemplate on Mitsotakis proposal on a gluten-free day.
PM Alexis Tsipras commented though: “Where have you been all the time, Mr Mitsotakis, and did not come up earlier with this fine solution?” and he asked why the ND did not implement such a solution when it was in government. ND MPs started to shout. So, I suppose, ND solution is not THE solution.
To make the long story of a 2-day debate in the Parliament, all I can say is this:
the EU critical left-wiong SYRIZA will vote for the EU lenders’ austerity package, while the defenders of the “We stay in EU” movement – opposition parties ND, PASOK & To Potami – will vote against.
After the delicious home-made pizza, I had a double portion of ice-cream. As everybody knows: austerity measures and debates in parliament are very frustrating. And fattening!
The voting will take place much later than scheduled, probably before the lawmakers turn into pumpkins at midnight.
An interesting point: every now and then the debate is interrupted with the finance Minister and the deputy finance ministers to drop in amendments like for the special payrolls or for the school teachers who if go into retirement now they will do it according to old pensions system and not the reformed of May 12th.
Every Greek government has its favorite unions and civil servants groups.
PS There won’t be any cent available for pizza & ice-cream as of 1. July due to VAT hikes. And no internet as of 1. June due to extra 5% charge on phone bill.
I better go get a pizza and some ice cream myself. And save my laptop from destruction.
you can only learn laptop-saving tricks here