Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 15-03-18

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Humanitarian crisis bill 'inconsistent with Feb. 20 agreement,' EU official

[01] Humanitarian crisis bill 'inconsistent with Feb. 20 agreement,' EU official

The draft bill on the humanitarian crisis - including regulations for lower-income families such as free electricity and food and other subsidies - is scheduled to be voted on in plenum on Wednesday (tomorrow), while the appended rider on settlement of tax arrears by up to 100 installments is scheduled to be voted in plenum on Thursday.

But in a letter tweeted by well-known journalist Paul Mason (UK Channel 4), the European Commission's representative to institutions (Greece's creditors) Declan Costello called for a stop to proceedings as a "unilateral" action, which brought a strong reaction by the government.

In his letter to the Greek government, Costello referred to a teleconference call with the government in which "you mentioned the planned parliament passage tomorrow [Wednesday] of the ‘humanitarian crisis' bill." His letter continues, "We also understand that other policy initiatives, including the instalment scheme law, are in train that are to go to Parliament shortly. We would strongly urge having the proper policy consultations first, including consistency with reform efforts. There are several issues to be discussed and we need to do them as a coherent and comprehensive package. Doing otherwise would be proceeding unilaterally and in a piecemeal manner that is inconsistent with the commitments made, including to the Eurogroup as stated in the February 20 communique."

In its reaction, the government said, "Anyone who considers as 'unilateral action' the voting of a draft bill aiming at healing the wounds of the catastrophic policy of the last years simply exposes those who support it and proves that the technical teams are unable to guarantee the implementation of the February 20 agreement."

It then called on all opposition parties to vote the bill in Parliament on Wednesday and oppose "these attempts at blackmail," adding that "if in Europe in 2015 dealing with a humanitarian crisis is considered a unilateral act, then what survives of European values?"

From Parliament, the reconstruction minister Voutsis refuted the idea that the February 20 agreement was being violated, claiming that "the promotion of legislative initiatives and the relevant tabling of draft bills constitute the core of promoting the reforms we have agreed to jointly" with the institutions.

Earlier, Parliament president Zoi Constantopoulou had brought the reaction of deputies when she cited rules that reversed the usual order of speakers, giving the floor first to the relevant minister (the bill consists of several sections) and then hearing the party rapporteurs. The controversy was resolved when Voutsis proposed that Alternate Minister for Social Solidarity (part of the labour ministry) Theano Fotiou speak first, to explain the relevant section.

Fotiou had said among other things that the first part of the bill (on the humanitarian crisis) would allow people and families who had been thrown to the margins of society because of the memorandum policy "to understand they are not alone in the crisis," and she urged all parties to pass it.

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