Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and conservative New Democracy (ND) party leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis locked horns in the social security debate that took place in Greek Parliament on Tuesday. In his first appearance as party leader, Mitsotakis accused the state on its stand on the country’s pension system.

“We are forced to clean your dirty laundry,” said Tsipras, though Mitsotakis insisted that the pension system was sustainable before SYRIZA came to power. “Do you have a proposal?” asked Tsipras. “Or will you fall in line with the International Monetary Fund in the name of some pseudo-technocratic obsession that wil lead to new pension cuts?”

The government was taken off-guard when Mitsotakis said that the government’s pension proposals were “in the right direction” bearing in mind that they are based on measures taken by previous governments.Mitsotakis suggested the creation of three pension funds rather than just one that he assesses would not be manageable.

He also called the government to abandon recent pay rises announced for some civil servants and called on the government to abandon its “populism”.

“You are the ones who signed the third bailout,” he pointed out, adding that the matter was pure and simple. Regarding Greece’s relations with the IMF, he read out an excerpt from a letter sent by Greece to the IMF on July 23, 2015:

“We would like to inform you that we are seeking a new loan facility from the International Monetary Fund. We look forward to continue co-operation with the fund.”

He then proceeded to explain: “It’s the IMF, Euclid!”