Budget: passed with the most votes of the 5-year term – 258 in favour of Defence spending and Tsipras

A strong vote of parliamentary confidence in an environment of extreme political volatility was given to the government as the state budget for 2025 received 159 positive votes, the most in five years.

The central annex of the top bill was passed by all 155 New Democracy MPs, by Lefteris Avgenakis, whose all signs point to his immediate return to the party, as well as by independents – coming from the “Spartans”, Michalis Gavgiotakis, Harris Katsivardas, and George Aspiotis.

The former Prime Minister, Antonis Samaras, and former ND MP Marios Salmas were absent from the proceedings. The latter chose to abstain in the vote in principle but supported many of the individual ministry expenditures.

In addition to this, the fact that all of the individual ministry budgets received support from more than 155 ND MPs is interpreted as broader support for government policy. Notably, the Health Ministry’s spending received 167 votes in favour, Education 166 and Foreign Affairs, Interior and Social Cohesion and Family 160.

The 258 votes in favour of Defence spending, Tsipras’ mistake and the “rebels” of Victory

The National Defence Ministry spending received the broad support of 258 MPs from the parliamentary groups of ND, PASOK, SYRIZA, Hellenic Solution, Nikos Spartans and several independents.

However, the sensation was caused by the fact that in the official list of the Parliament, Alexis Tsipras appears to go against the “line” of his party and vote against it.

The former prime minister’s negative vote sparked scenarios and interpretations of an attempt to maintain bridges with the New Left, which had criticized Koumoundourou’s official stance of voting in favor of arms spending. However, sources close to Tsipras claim that a negative vote was recorded by mistake and that he voted in favour.

At the same time, the roll call of MPs’ votes seems to be causing headaches for the Victory Party leadership as well, as the internal party opposition of Nikos Vrettos and Nikos Papadopoulos voted against defense spending, violating the party’s “line.”

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