With 153 votes in favour, the state budget for 2018 got the approval of the Parliament, bringing new taxes to taxpayers, employees and retired.

The budget was approved, in addition to the members of the government majority, SYRIZA and ANEL, by the independent MP Theodora Megalomikonomou, who comes from the Union of Centrists party.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, visited the journalists of the Parliament for the exchange of wishes, and commented on the positive vote that he received from the independent MP saying “the positive thing is that instead of becoming fewer, we increase”.

Mr Christodoros Papadopoulos, a member of SYRIZA, was absent from the voting procedure, but he wrote a letter clarifying that he would vote positively if he was present, as well as Mr Aristides Fokas of the Union of Centrists and the independent Nikos Michos.