Venizelos whips up support ahead of bill vote

The multi-bill presented today and voted on Sunday in parliament, is the biggest challenge in the short life of the coalition government. Not just because its majority is on the line, but also because without the passage of the bill, the installment of the 10 billion from the EU loan in next Tuesday's Eurogroup.

The PM has been doing his best to whip the votes from the New Democracy MPs and now his junior coalition partner' turn to do his bid wrangling the vote for PASOK's MPs. Evangelos Venizelos made a speech to his party's caucus today to point out the severity of Sunday's vote.

He talked about a historic perspective opening for the country and stressed the importance of the bill for Greecovery. To counterbalance the patronizing talk, though, the government VP also stressed the fact that he hasn't been toeing the party line as many party leaders have done in past votes.

“We are doing our patriotic duty”, he told his MPs. “Never before has there been a political party operating with such collectivity as we have. I have not imposed discipline in this vote, but our decisions are collective. It would be a shame to do ourselves wrong by creating an image of confusion”, he added, making a plea for party unity.

Speaking about the milk deal, which prevented a major “mutiny” among majority MPs, PASOK president said that it protects both milk producers and consumers, offering both fair price and quality standards.

After repeating the PM's link of the multi-bill vote with the route towards the next trench and recovery, he attacked SYRIZA policy, accusing them of enforcing “fifth column” tactics. He pointed out the duplicity of SYRIZA accusing the government of lying and kowtowing to the Troika, while at the same time calling majority MPs to stand their ground and do the right thing.

Finally, Venizelos reiterated the government's commitment to not impose any new taxes, neither now, nor in the foreseeable future, denying the stories cultivated by the opposition and the press that there will be a new memorandum program signed with the Troika.