ATHENS: Greece will "quite likely" be forced to hold new elections as early as September, the interior minister said Thursday after a mutiny among government lawmakers over a new EU bailout for the country.
Parliament overnight adopted a series of sweeping measures demanded by EU creditors in order to unlock the new rescue package accepted by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
But several dozen lawmakers in his radical left Syriza party refused to approve the terms of the deal, which many in Greece have branded humiliating.
"Elections will quite likely be held in September or October, depending on developments," Interior Minister Nikos Voutsis told Sto Kokkino radio.
The bill was eventually passed in parliament after it won the support of opposition conservative, socialist and pro-European parties.
Athens on Monday agreed to a third EU bailout worth up to 86 billion euros ($94 billion) in return for tax hikes, pension reforms and a series of privatisations.
Tsipras, who became prime minister after Syriza won snap elections in January, remains popular in Greek society.
Analysts say he could even emerge stronger from a fresh election, enabling him to marginalise the hardliners in his party and implement the reforms.
AFP
