Yiannis Dragasakis

Greek political parties continued a heated debate in the Parliament's plenary session on Monday over the draft state budget for 2021.

The debate, which is in its fourth day, will conclude with a vote on Tuesday night.

In a self-critical mood, three senior members of leftist SYRIZA have authored a review of the party's four-and-a-half years in power which will be presented for approval to its Central Committee this weekend. 

The political secretariat of main opposition SYRIZA has decided that the party's new name will not be decided via a referendum because of concerns it may cause divisions. 

Instead, the party's Central Committee will convene on February 15-16 and attempt to reach consensus on the issue. 

The planned referendum to change the name of SYRIZA has reportedly become a source of acrimony within the leftist party as it is opposed by its more radical wing.

A new round of political acrimony is expected this week as Parliament opens discussions Wednesday on a confidence vote called by the government in response to a censure motion filed by opposition New Democracy Monday against Alternate Health Minister Pavlos Polakis.

Conservative main opposition New Democracy submitted on Monday afternoon a censure motion against Alternate Health Minister Pavlos Polakis, as it had announced last week, which prompted the government to counter the move with a confidence vote.
ND's move comes after Polakis slammed a conservative quadriplegic MEP candidate for using affirmative action laws.

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.

Far from sticking to its guns, the government has yielded significant ground on the new foreclosure protection framework, a draft of which was tabled in Parliament late on Tuesday and will be put to a vote on Thursday.

The Greek government and the country's bankers are expected to reach an agreement on the protection of debtors' primary residences next week, according to government sources cited by state-run news agency ANA-MPA on Monday afternoon, after a meeting at the prime minister's office.

Farmers from Nikaia in northern Greece head south on Saturday to set up a roadblock at the tunnels on the national highway connecting Athens and Thessaloniki in Tempi as they escalated their protest action.