Government’s “parallel program” debated in parliament

The debate over the coalition government’s “parallel program” bill begins on Friday in Parliament and is set to conclude on Saturday.

This bill was withdrawn in December under pressure from Greece’s creditors, with the government at the time stressing that it would be resubmitted, after the necessary improvements are carried out.

Specifically, the government will include additional clarifications on the program’s cost as well as a report from the General Accounting Office, which was not originally included and the omission of which has caused major reactions from the opposition parties.

The Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is scheduled to address Parliament on Saturday, after he returns from Brussels, followed by the political leaders of the opposition parties.

The government’s ambitious program, which is meant to run ‘parallel’ to the bailout agreement, introduces free healthcare for the uninsured and addresses staffing issues for remote and regional health centers and hospitals, among others.

Watch the debate in Parliament live