Gov’t to hold off on pensions after budget vote
The government is expected to win Saturday’s vote on the 2016 national budget without any problems but it appears that it has decided not to try to also rush through pension and tax reforms before the end of the year.
Ahead of Saturday’s final day of debate on the budget in Parliament, no coalition MPs had given any indications that they would vote against the budget.
Sources indicated that Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and his advisers feel that given the need to pass though Parliament the next set of prior actions demanded by lenders for the release of another 1 billion euros in bailout funding, attempting to get approval for pension and tax reforms as well this month would be too demanding.
Parliament Speaker Nikos Voutsis insisted on Friday that there is still scope for the parties to find common ground on pension reforms despite the recent failed attempt to reach an agreement at a meeting of political leaders chaired by Tsipras.
