Wednesday, July 15, 2015
What happened in Brussels constituted "a bad night for Europe," during which "the traditions of Europe were not respected," the premier noted. “We ended up with a tough agreement, but at least it’s not the dead end we were presented with earlier.” He clarified that the choices presented to Greece were either an agreement with these conditions, or a disorderly bankruptcy and eventually an exit from the Eurozone. Tsipras also rebuffed calls to resign, saying that he had a responsibility to implement the agreement and serve a full four-year term.
The PM stressed that he would do all he could to maintain the unity of Syriza, but his priority was to secure a deal and the stability of the economy and banking system before dealing with party matters.
- Omnibus bill
In related news, the omnibus draft bill "Emergency Measures for the Negotiation and Agreement With the European Stability Mechanism (ESM)," which includes the prior actions agreed upon in the summit meeting was tabled in parliament yesterday and will be voted with a fast track procedure. The bill contains a number of critical reforms, which need to be ratified in order to proceed with the agreement reached in Brussels, and will be submitted to the relevant committees in Parliament (Financial Affairs, Public Administration, Production and Trade, Social Affairs) today. The aim is for the committee debate to be over by 2 p.m. in order for the bill to be sent to the plenary, so that the vote can be completed tonight.
ERT WebTV: Interview with PM Tsipras (in Greek, 14.07)