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Greece battles cries of 'treason' as it unveils reforms

Lianna Brinded   

Greece battles cries of 'treason' as it unveils reforms
Finance3 min read

Protesters shout slogans during a rally in front of the Greek parliament during a debate prior to a confidence vote in Athens October 10, 2014.

Reuters

Some Syriza party dissenters have voiced concern over Greece's latest agreement with creditors.

Press leaks have become such a problem for Greece that the radical government decided to release the summary of its reforms before it has even submitted to its creditors.

However, a Reuters report suggested that Greece has now submitted its list to the International Monetary Fund and European institutions around midnight.

The slab of reforms includes tackling tax evasion and implementing labour reforms. The Syriza-run government also stipulated that it is committed to addressing Greece's "humanitarian crisis."

Greece secured a four-month loan extension on Friday, however the deal could still fall apart if international creditors do not approve this set of reforms.

Initially, Greece was meant to submit its reform proposals on 22 February, however it delayed it by 24 hours.

Syriza's list of reforms mainly hinge around tackling corruption and fighting against tax evasion to bring in more cash for the beleaguered country. It said it will focus on fuel and tobacco smugglers. Greece's government also pledged to reform labour laws on collective contracts and bargaining agreements.

However, in a bid to appease its voters, it said that it will help alleviate the "humanitarian crisis" as its economy has shrunk by 25% since the start of the Eurozone debt crisis.

Since a quarter of Greece's population is unemployed, Syriza will provide free medical care for the jobless and therefore uninsured. It also promised to secure housing guarantees and spend £44m on free electricity for the Greeks.

It also vowed to dole out £550 million to provide meal subsidies.

Meanwhile, Syriza is battling to fulfill the very promises that got it elected in the first place. According to reports, a veteran member of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' government has hit back at bailout extension deal.

Manolis Glezos said that the latest agreement showed that Syriza reneged on its election promises. "I apologise to the Greek people because I have contributed to this illusion," he said.

However, a Greek government spokesperson hit back: "Manolis Glezos is someone whom we will never cease to honour but. I believe that statement in particular was misguided and wrong."

Elsewhere, Greek citizens are growing increasingly angry with Syriza-run government over the agreement too, as detailed by CNBC.

"[The new deal] is treason," said Athens-based Kostas Karampas on Facebook. He added that "[whoever signs the new bailout agreement] are collaborators and will be judged by the Greek people for ultimate treason."

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