Omnibus bill passed with 154 votes, clears way for bailout evaluation completion

Parliament last night passed the controversial omnibus bill that enshrines about 50 preconditions for completion of the third fiscal adjustment programme evaluation, which is expected to be formally approved by the Eurogroup on 22 January.

Aside from the 153 votes of the ruling Syriza-Independent Greeks coalition, the government picked up one additional vote from independent MP Theodora Megaloeconomou, who in July declared herself independent from the Centrists’ Union party, on whose ticket she was elected.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras yesterday accepted Megaloeconomou’s request to be inducted in Syriza’s parliamentary group as a collaborating MP, who will not become a party member, at least for the time being.

“I hereby inform you of my intention to enter, as a collaborating MP, the Syriza parliamentary group,” she wrote in a letter to the PM.

Tsipras, in turn, informed Parliament Speaker Nikos Voutsis in a letter that Megaloeconomou “is entering the parliamentary group as an MP collaborating with Syriza”.

Of the 295 MPs who voted in parliament, there were 154 yes votes, and 141 nays.

New Democracy, Democratic Alliance, Golden Dawn, the Greek Communist Party (KKE), the Centrists’ Union, and To Potami voted no on the bill overall, in principle.

The controversial measure increasing the percentage of trade unionists that must be present to declare a strike to an absolute majority was put to a roll-call vote, in which the MPs of the centrist To Potami party declared themselves “present”.

The article regulating strikes was passed by 155 MPs, as independent MP Haris Theocharis also supported the measure.

New Democracy requested a rollcall vote on the article concerning the paring back of family benefits for families with three or more children, which it opposed. The Greek Communist party and independent MP Katerina Papakosta, formerly of New Democrcacy, declared themselves “present”.

Also put to a roll-call vote were the measures regarding members of the Hellenic Financial Stability Fund not submitting an assets declaration, and concerning the establishment of e-auctions of seized properties.