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Greece passes more EU-dictated laws

Parliament rushes through new rules on banks and courts

by Our Foreign Desk

GREECE’S parliament passed further EU-dictated laws in the small hours of yesterday morning, despite another backbench rebellion by Syriza MPs.

The emergency legislation introduces new rules to speed up court cases, along with measures to protect bank deposits of up to €100,000 (£71,000) and to make shareholders and creditors pay for future bank bailouts, rather than the government.

More controversial measures, such as ending early retirement and raising taxes on farmers, will be voted on next month.

MPs endorsed the Bill by 230 votes to 63, although Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras had to rely on the support of the pro-austerity opposition after 31 of his backbenchers voted against the legislation and five abstained.

“We have chosen a compromise that forces us to implement a programme in which we do not believe, and we will implement it because the alternatives are tough,” Mr Tsipras said. “We are summoned today to legislate under a state of emergency.

“We chose a difficult compromise to avert the most extreme plans by the most extreme circles in Europe,” he told MPs, warning: “Conservative forces within Europe still insist on their plans to kick Greece out of the euro.”

But the number of dissenters was down on the 38 who rebelled in last Wednesday’s vote on the first round of austerity legislation, prompting a purge of leftwingers from the cabinet.

Former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis voted with the government this time, explaining on website The Press Project that it was important to preserve government unity even if the European Union’s bailout programme for Greece was “designed to fail.”

EU bailout negotiators are due to return to Athens today to begin talks on an €85 billion (£6bn) bank bailout, Greece’s third since 2010.

They hope to reach agreement by August 20, when Greece must repay a €3bn (£2.1bn) instalment to the European Central Bank.

A government official in Athens, who asked not to be identified, said Greece was determined to resist any further conditions being set for the third bailout.

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