Cash-strapped govt now eyes possible ‘internal opposition’ to loan deal

Reactions from SYRIZA’s far-left wings has increased over the past week as talks narrow on finding a compromise with creditors

With pressure on the leftist Greek government increasing with each passing day to seal some type of bailout deal with institutional creditors – amid decreasing cash reserves and edgy markets – a newly emerged obstacle is whether it can pass the agreement in Parliament without losses.

A more recent concern within the Greek PM’s close circle of aides is the reactions from the leftist party’ more extreme wings, including the virulently anti-capitalist “Left Platform”, which is expressed by Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis, and even quirkier political groupings that once combined to form the nucleus of SYRIZA when it was still polling single digit numbers in elections.

Although several main opposition New Democracy party (the centre-right) and socialist PASOK deputies have signaled that they would approve of a bailout extension agreement with creditors, if the SYRIZA-Independent Greeks party (AN.EL) coalition losses more than 13 deputies in a vote for a new agreement it would fall under the 150-MP majority in Parliament. The result would be a theoretical loss of the government’s mandate.

Any pending vote in Parliament —  eagerly watched around the world given the economic repercussions involved for the Eurozone — has also fermented developments in the main opposition, according to reports.

High-profile MP Dora Bakoyannis, a former minister who unsuccessfully vied for the party’s leadership post in 2009, as well as deputies considered as belonging to the “Karamanlis bloc”, have reportedly conveyed a message to party leader Antonis Samaras to change ND’s stance of voting, in principle, against any agreement tabled in Parliament.