Greek lawmakers approved of a third bailout agreement with European creditors in the early morning hours of Thursday by 229 to 64 with six MPs voting "present", in a vote that saw 39 ruling SYRIZA deputies defy the "party line" to set the stage for a government reshuffle or even an internal showdown.

Events augur a critical day long and a long night, which will determine the fate of the coalition but also of the country.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras defended a bailout deal struck at a euro zone summit, saying that although it had been "a bad night for Europe" and "imposed" on Greece, the agreement saved it from exiting the euro and must be implemented.