“We got a mandate to bring a better deal, not to pull Greece out of the Eurozone,” said Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to the joint meeting of the SYRIZA Parliamentary Group and Political Secretariat.
Tsipras spoke to his cabinet and party MPs after Athens submitted the list of proposals for a third bailout program to creditors. The proposal includes several austerity measures that SYRIZA‘s Left Platform is against. The party’s extremists insist on not signing a deal and coming to a rift with creditors and Europe. The Left Platform also insists that the “No” vote in last week’s referendum means that the majority of Greeks do not want a deal.
The Greek Prime Minister said that the people’s mandate was also to keep Greece in the Eurozone and that it would be impossible to stay in the common currency without an agreement that would save the country from bankruptcy.
“We are currently faced with important decisions. What matters now is that the SYRIZA Parliamentary Group stands united and strong in front of these important decisions. I am not going to be a new Papademos [former technocrat Greek PM]. Where we stand now, we came together. We either continue together or leave together,” he said.
Most MPs of the SYRIZA Parliamentary Group came to the meeting without making statements. Interior Minister Nikos Voutsis said while entering the meeting: “We are optimistic about a very good deal. We will discuss and everything will go well.”
Deputy Culture Minister Nikos Xydakis said upon his arrival: “We will strive for an agreement. We face a very tough Germany. We have to see how we survive in this very tough context.”
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
