Greek government formation, January

Greece's largest private sector union GSEE is staging a 24-hour strike against planned pension cuts and to demand the reversal of labor reforms implemented under the country's third bailout which expired in August.

GSEE's demands include pension increases, tax cuts and restoring the minimum salary to the pre-bailout level of 751 euros ($853), from the current 580 euros ($659).

Greek officials say lenders have agreed to scrap a major round of government funding cuts planned for next year after the country outperformed budget targets set to help protect public finances.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said the government received "very positive news from Brussels" on Thursday, when bailout creditor representatives met to discuss Greeces draft 2019 budget.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras's talk of consensus in his opening speech during the parliamentary debate on the constitutional review quickly fell by the wayside on Wednesday, giving way to polarizing rhetoric and acrimonious exchanges.

The stance of Independent Greeks (ANEL), the junior nationalist party in Greece's leftist-led coalition, on the name deal reached with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continues to resemble a kind of theater of the absurd.

Junior coalition partner Independent Greeks (ANEL) on Wednesday welcomed a tentative deal struck between the left-led government and the country's powerful Orthodox Church, saying that ANEL chief Panos Kammenos had managed to prevent a planned split between the two institutions.

The parliamentary debate on the revision of the Greek Constitution will start on November 14, according to a decision by the House's conference of presidents o Monday.

On the same day, the parliament will also decide on the deadline by which the Constitutional Revision Committee, the body responsible for examining the government's proposed amendments, will deliver its report.

Ahead of the upcoming review of Greece's Constitution, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will have to walk a tightrope as he seeks to strike a delicate balance between the views of his leftist SYRIZA party and those of the junior coalition partner, Independent Greeks (ANEL), on a string of issues. 

Outlining his proposals ahead of the country's constitutional review, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Tuesday he is aiming to introduce "religious neutrality" to the Greek state, and expressed confidence that the Church will be on board.

Greek former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis has claimed that US-Hungarian billionaire financier George Soros had asked for him to be ejected from the leftist-led government.

In comments to Skai television, Varoufakis claimed that Soros called Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in July 2015 and asked for his dismissal from the cabinet.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is handling Panos Kammenos, the leader of junior coalition partner Independent Greeks (ANEL), like the three wise monkeys, seeing no evil, hearing no evil and speaking no evil.