Parliamentary debate on medium-term programme begins

Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos, speaking at the start of a parliamentary debate on the medium-term fiscal strategy programme on Monday afternoon, set its ratification as a precondition for the renegotiating of Greece’s obligations towards its creditors, rejecting at the Parliamentary Plenum a relevant objection of constitutional incompatibility by the Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA).
“The renegotiating is before us. They are calling on us for renegotiating. And I call on the opposition: Come and negotiate with us together and if we do it together we shall have greater strength,” Venizelos said, underlining that a “growth memorandum is being prepared since it is also becoming apparent to the partners that recession becomes an obstructive factor for the programme’s success.”
During the vote, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) expressed support for the rejection of the bill as being unconstitutional, but not the Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) party or the main opposition New Democracy (ND) party.