Confidence vote debate to start on Wednesday

A discussion on a confidence vote in the government is to begin in Parliament on Wednesday with a vote scheduled for Friday night, House speakers decided on Monday.

The council of speakers decided on the move after Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said that any censure motion lodged against a member of the government would be met with a call for a confidence vote, responding to a call by New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis for a censure motion against the outspoken Alternate Health Minister Pavlos Polakis.

Mitsotakis is expected to announce the censure motion against Polakis, who pulled up a conservative MEP candidate for using affirmative action laws, on Monday afternoon.

If that happens, as is expected, Deputy Prime Minister Yiannis Dragasakis is expected to propose a vote of confidence in the government.

The government has the necessary majority in...