The slim leftist-rightist coalition in Greece held firm on Friday during a vote for the latest – and probably last – round of “prior actions” demanded by creditors in order to conclude a second review of the bailout program during a June 15 Eurogroup meeting.
The 153 deputies backing the current government – leftist SYRIZA and its small rightist-populist partner, the Independent Greeks (AN.EL) – passed amendments freezing pension rates in the country until 2022 and avoid a mandatory return to collective bargaining negotiations, among others.
A total of 83 deputies in Greece’s 300-MP Parliament voted down the measures, while MPs from the Communist Party (KKE) withdrew from the chamber all together.
A roll call vote process was held, following a request by main opposition New Democracy (ND) party, while amendments tabled as riders to an unrelated bill related to political parties’ financing and e-auctions were passed by a majority vote.
The freeze on pensions, the most “painful” of the latest austerity measures passed by the Tsipras government, are calculated as translating into a loss of 250 million euros for beneficiaries, given the projected rates of inflation until that year. The measures were part of a total package of 140 prior actions demanded by creditors last month.
