Greek Parliament began debating a vote of confidence on the coalition government on Wednesday following a request by Prime Minister Antonis Samaras. The request for a vote of conference comes after growing calls for an early election from main opposition Coalition of the Left (SYRIZA) party that wants to renegotiate the terms of its 240-billion-euro bailout agreement. Health Minister Makis Voridis opened the discussion in lieu of Mr. Samaras who is attending an EU leaders’ summit in Milan.

Mr. Voridis accused the SYRIZA party of manufacturing political tension and being involved in “hate speech” that he believes played a part in the murder of rapper Pavlos Fyssas by an ultra-fascist Golden Dawn (GD) member that then lead to a retaliatory assassination of two members of the neo-Nazi party.

His comments immediately prompted SYRIZA’a reaction. “Isn’t Mr. Samaras the architect of the theory of the two extremes?” asked SYRIZA’s deputy Yiannis Dragasakis, who also refered to a clandestine meeting earlier this year between Mr. Samaras’ former aide Panayiotis Baltakos with Golden Dawn spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris.

184 parliamentary deputies have expressed an interest in taking the floor during the debate on the confidence vote, and this could escalate to over 200. 66 New Democracy (ND) deputies, 62 SYRIZA deputies, 11 from the socialist PASOK party, 10 from Independent Greeks (ANEL), 6 from GD, 9 from the Democratic Left (DIMAR), 9 from the Greek Communist Party (KKE) and another five independents.

The coalition government is expected to have the backing of 154 deputies in the 300-seat government and it is likely that the government will get the support it needs.

The voting is to take place at midnight on Friday.