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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><a href="http://www.thetoc.gr/eng/politics/"><span style='color:blue'>Politics</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:24.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>SYRIZA hardliners rebel over bailout extension<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>A motion critical of the loan extension that was tabled during a meeting of SYRIZA's central committee failed to pass, but shows the number of dissenters is growing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><img border=0 width=777 height=437 id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D055A9.23A4C7E0" alt="Description: syriza-hardliners-rebel-over-bailout-extension"></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>01 Mar. 15 (15:12) | upd: 01 Mar. 15 (15:18) <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><a href="http://www.thetoc.gr/"><span style='color:blue'>Comment Now</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>SHARE THIS<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.thetoc.gr/" title=""Εκτυπώστε το άρθρο" "><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:blue;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=54 height=19 id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image002.jpg@01D055A9.23A4C7E0" alt="Description: print icon"></span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Members of the hardline<b> ‘Left Platform’ within SYRIZA </b>made plain their <b>opposition to the loan extension deal</b> struck with Greece’s lenders by tabling an <b>amendment critical of the agreement </b>during a meeting of the party’s central committee.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The amendment is critical both of the extension agreement and the <b>list of reforms</b> to which Greece committed to implementing that was assembled during the Eurogroup meetings.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>According to the SYRIZA officials opposed to the measures, the two texts represent an ‘undesirable compromise for out country and are far away, in a different direction or even opposed to SYRIZA’s policy statements.’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The opposition by the Left Platform to the agreement is no great surprise. The leader of SYRIZA’s Left Platform and Energy Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis has been critical of the deal and has made public statements at odds with those made by other ministers, most notably with regards to privatizations. While the government has committed to continuing privatizations that <b>have been completed or are underway</b>, Lafazanis has vowed to halt all privatizations in the energy sector.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>What will be particularly concerning for Alexis Tsipras is that <b>other SYRIZA members not of the Left Platform also supported the motion</b> condemning the loan extension agreement. Specifically the amendment was defeated with <b>68</b> votes in favour, <b>92</b> against and 5 blank votes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The amendment writes that the government, “despite the Eurogroup agreements must proceed on the basis of policies that will have the main priority the stable implementation of pre-election pledges and government policy statements.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>That however will be difficult without external funding given the dire state of the government’s finances and projections for revenue shortfalls.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>However with the dissenting voices in his party also on the rise, sticking with the agreement tentatively struck with Greece’s European partners to secure additional funding may alos prove equally difficult for the prime minister. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><a href="http://www.thetoc.gr/politics/"><span style='color:blue'>TOP Politics</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><a href="http://www.thetoc.gr/eng/politics/article/imf--european-commission-report-highlights-tax-loopholes"><span style='color:blue;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=252 height=141 id="Picture_x0020_3" src="cid:image003.jpg@01D055A9.23A4C7E0" alt="Description: imf--european-commission-report-highlights-tax-loopholes"></span><span style='color:blue'><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><u><span style='font-size:24.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:blue'><a href="http://www.thetoc.gr/eng/politics/article/imf--european-commission-report-highlights-tax-loopholes"><span style='color:blue'>Report highlights tax loopholes & deficiencies</span><span style='color:windowtext;text-decoration:none'><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></u></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><a href="http://www.thetoc.gr/eng/politics/article/madrid-calls-on-brussels-to-condemn-tsipras-remarks"><span style='color:blue;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=252 height=141 id="Picture_x0020_4" src="cid:image004.jpg@01D055A9.23A4C7E0" alt="Description: madrid-calls-on-brussels-to-condemn-tsipras-remarks"></span><span style='color:blue'><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><u><span style='font-size:24.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:blue'><a href="http://www.thetoc.gr/eng/politics/article/madrid-calls-on-brussels-to-condemn-tsipras-remarks"><span style='color:blue'>Madrid calls on Brussels to condemn Tsipras remarks</span><span style='color:windowtext;text-decoration:none'><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></u></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><a href="http://www.thetoc.gr/eng/politics/article/government-risks-lender-ire-over-planned-legislation"><span style='color:blue;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=252 height=141 id="Picture_x0020_5" src="cid:image005.jpg@01D055A9.23A4C7E0" alt="Description: government-risks-lender-ire-over-planned-legislation"></span><span style='color:blue'><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><u><span style='font-size:24.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:blue'><a href="http://www.thetoc.gr/eng/politics/article/government-risks-lender-ire-over-planned-legislation"><span style='color:blue'>Government risks lender ire over planned legislation</span><span style='color:windowtext;text-decoration:none'><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></u></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><a href="http://www.thetoc.gr/eng/politics/article/the-media-inexperience-of-varoufakis-and-syriza"><span style='color:blue;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=252 height=141 id="Picture_x0020_6" src="cid:image006.jpg@01D055A9.23A4C7E0" alt="Description: the-media-inexperience-of-varoufakis-and-syriza"></span><span style='color:blue'><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><u><span style='font-size:24.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:blue'><a href="http://www.thetoc.gr/eng/politics/article/the-media-inexperience-of-varoufakis-and-syriza"><span style='color:blue'>The media inexperience of Varoufakis and SYRIZA</span><span style='color:windowtext;text-decoration:none'><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></u></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><a href="http://www.thetoc.gr/eng/politics/article/germany-tsipras-conspiracy-comments-were-foul-play"><span style='color:blue;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=252 height=141 id="Picture_x0020_7" src="cid:image007.jpg@01D055A9.23A4C7E0" alt="Description: germany-tsipras-conspiracy-comments-were-foul-play"></span><span style='color:blue'><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><u><span style='font-size:24.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:blue'><a href="http://www.thetoc.gr/eng/politics/article/germany-tsipras-conspiracy-comments-were-foul-play"><span style='color:blue'>Germany: Tsipras conspiracy comments were 'foul play'</span><span style='color:windowtext;text-decoration:none'><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></u></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><a href="http://www.thetoc.gr/eng/politics/article/ecb-uncomfortable-with-leading-role-in-greek-funding-drama"><span style='color:blue;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=252 height=141 id="Picture_x0020_8" src="cid:image008.jpg@01D055A9.23A4C7E0" alt="Description: ecb-uncomfortable-with-leading-role-in-greek-funding-drama"></span><span style='color:blue'><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><u><span style='font-size:24.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:blue'><a href="http://www.thetoc.gr/eng/politics/article/ecb-uncomfortable-with-leading-role-in-greek-funding-drama"><span style='color:blue'>ECB: the reluctant Greek drama protagonist</span><span style='color:windowtext;text-decoration:none'><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></u></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>