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Greek MPs start debating third bailout, vote due late Thursday or early Friday

Greek MPs start debating third bailout, vote due late Thursday or early Friday

MPs began debating Greece’s new bailout at committee level on Thursday morning, ahead of a vote much later in the day.

The discussion began after a stormy meeting between parliamentary speaker Zoe Constantopoulou and parliamentary representatives. Constantopoulou clashed repeatedly during the discussion about parliamentary procedure with other MPs, particularly Nikos Filis of SYRIZA.

In the end, though, it was decided that the committees could meet on Thursday morning Once they have concluded their debate and a report has been issued, the plenary will be called. The debate will then last a maximum of 10 hours before MPs cast their ballots on the new bailout.

It is possible the debate will run into the early hours of Friday morning, with MPs voting a few hours before the Eurogroup meets in Brussels.

The government had wanted the committees to meet on Wednesday and the plenary to debate and vote on Thursday but Constantopoulou’s refusal to hold her meeting with party representatives before Wednesday night made this impossible.

Constantopoulou claimed she had previously been informed by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras that there would be no voted in Parliament before August 16 and had not expected to have to recall the House before then.

Filis and others accused her of being a stickler for the rules and abusing the power that comes with her institutional role.

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