Athens (dpa) – Greece‘s coalition government will face a crucial confidence vote on Friday, amid growing calls from the main opposition far-left SYRIZA party for snap elections.
Prime Minister Antonis Samaras requested the vote on Monday at the end of parliament‘s summer session.
A three-day debate will begin on Wednesday prior to the midnight confidence vote on Friday.
The popularity of Samaras‘ ruling conservative coalition has hit a record low as it struggles to lower rising unemployment and turn around a staggering economy.
The confidence vote comes as international creditors are in Athens holding a fifth, and what the government hopes is a final, review of Greece‘s progress on economic reform.
The talks with creditors are expected to focus on the country‘s 2015 budget, namely the size of Greece‘s primary surplus and possible measures to plug the gap, as Athens insists it is ready to make an early exit from its current bailout programme.
Nearly five years after it was awarded its first of two bailouts, Athens is keen to avoid a third, insisting it can meet its funding needs by tapping international markets.
Negotiations are also expected to include the government‘s long-overdue efforts to down-size the bloated public sector as well as efforts to push ahead with a controversial overhaul of the pension system.
Greece has received about 240 billion euros (301 billion dollars) in bailout aid since 2010. In exchange, Greeks have had to endure repeated tax hikes as well as pension and salary cuts.
Samaras faces renewed domestic political pressure over the ongoing austerity.
His ruling conservative coalition government trails the main opposition SYRIZA party in opinion polls and could face early elections in March if it fails to gather the necessary support from parliament to elect a new president.
