The Greek government is angered by the description of two of its draft laws aimed at tackling the humanitarian crisis and launching a 100-installment payment plan for taxpayers to settle overdue debts as ‘unilateral actions’ by Declan Costello, the European Commission’s chief representative of the technical team monitoring Greece.

Government sources point to the two draft laws as necessary in tending to wounds caused by catastrophic policies of recent years. Costello’s description of these as ‘unilateral actions’ exposes that the technical teams are unable to ensure the application of the February 20 agreement reached at Eurogroup. All ministers are urged to vote for the two draft bills in Parliament on Thursday to send a resounding message that the Greek government will not succumb to “blackmail”.

“If dealing with the humanitarian crisis is considered unilateral action in Europe of 2015, then what is left of European values?” ask government officials, responding to Costello.

In his intervention, Interior and Administrative Reconstruction Minister Nikos Voutsis confirmed Costello’s letter that demanded the withdrawal of the two draft laws that would otherwise be considered ‘unilateral actions’. Voutsis, however, said that the two laws do not infringe on the agreement of February 20 that Greece had reached with the Eurogroup. He added that the legislative initiatives are the core of regulations that have been agreed upon to deal with the humanitarian crisis.

Parliament Speaker Zoi Konstantopoulou will signal the start of discussion for the 100-installment payment plan for taxpayers to settle overdue debts on Thursday and will be brought before the Plenary on Friday. Voting for the legislation to deal with the humanitarian crisis takes place on Thursday.

Sources state that the draft law that protects primary residences from foreclosure is to be presented to Parliament next week.