Brussels, 12/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - The Greek government is hoping to make progress in the talks with the troika of lenders (European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund) on Tuesday 12 November ahead of the meeting of eurozone finance ministers on Thursday 14 November, despite disagreement on the budget gap for 2014 widely broadcast by Greek media.
Sources revealed to Greek newspaper Capital that agreement is not likely at this stage because of the differences of opinion on the scale of the budget gap for 2014. The government says between €500 million and €700 million will be needed, but the troika says at least €2 billion would be closer to the mark. Greek newspaper Kathimerini says agreement will not be possible until December. The European Commission pointed out on Tuesday 12 November that this was not a further interruption of the new troika mission to Athens. The heads of mission of the three troika institutions will leave Greece to brief the eurozone finance ministers on Thursday 14 November about the Greek situation. Experts, however, will remain in place to continue the work. The return date will be decided over the next few days. The Greek parliament is due to vote on the country's draft budget for 2014 next week.
Government wins vote of confidence. The Greek government narrowly survived a vote of no-confidence lodged on Friday by the Syriza opposition party, which was rejected in the night of Sunday to Monday by 153 to 124 (of a total of 300 votes). All the members of the small Dimar party abstained. Of the two parties in the coalition government, one single parliamentarian of Pasok voted against the government, which cost her her job in the parliamentary group. Samaras, criticised Syriza in talks with MPs on the day of the vote, saying that, “at the moment that the country is regaining its credibility, you are asking for the government to fall”. The motion of no-confidence was exacerbated by the presence of the troika and motivated by the removal of public broadcasting company ERT journalists on Thursday morning from the premises where they were continuing to broadcast. (EL/transl.fl)