The set of new proposals presented by the Greek government have triggered strong sentiments within the ruling Syriza party. Many Members of Parliament are against the eventual final deal with international creditors saying that it would jeopardize political stability. Syriza and its leader, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, promised its electorate before the vote that they would put an end to austerity-driven policies imposed on Greece. However, some voices from within the party say that the new proposals submitted on Monday (22 June) look pretty “tough”. The Greek coalition consists of Syriza and the right-wing Independent Greeks, who are generally Eurosceptic. Since Syriza came into power in January, they have supported the country’s withdrawal from the euro zone and a return to drachma.
The submission of the last minute proposals made many MPs say that they would reject it in parliament. Syriza MP and Greek Parliament Vice President, Alexis Mitropoulos, described the proposed measures as “extreme and antisocial”. Syriza MP Giannis Michelogiannakis added that the deal would be a “tombstone for Greece” that will only boost “social misery that Syriza promised to end before the elections”. Communist Tendency, a far-left faction within Syriza, already issued a recommendation for Syriza MPs to reject the possible agreement.
However, Stavros Theodorakis, the leader of the center-left Potami, said last week that his party would support any deal reached between the government and its creditors. The Potami chief reiterated that Prime Minister Tsipras could count on help of his party in order to pass any potential agreement in parliament. Mr Theodorakis even criticized the Greek government for delaying the deal saying that the coalition government was “flirting with a national catastrophe”. When speaking at a conference on Monday (22 June), he also urged European leaders to help Greeks out and not punish them for the mistakes of the government.
