Dimitris Tzanakopoulos

As well as preparing to face down conservative New Democracy in a snap general election, which government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said on Tuesday would be held on July 7, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras faces upheaval within his leftist party following SYRIZA's defeat in European Parliament polls.

The snap elections called by Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras last Sunday after his party lost big to the main opposition in the EU elections will be held on July 7, government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said in a TV interview on Tuesday evening.

The snap elections announced late Sunday night by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras after the defeat his party suffered in the European Elections will most likely be held on June 30, according to sources.

Confronted with an apparent stinging defeat in today's European Parliament election, the government is arguing that the result is not the strategic defeat of the ruling party that main opposition New Democracy and the centre-left Movement for Change had called on voters to deliver to SYRIZA.

According to the government spokesman, who is the authentic interpreter of the views of the PM's office, all that has been revealed about the ties between Manolis Petsitis and Alexis Tsipras' right-hand-man, Digital Policy Minister Nikos Pappas, and about the DEPA (gas company)-Lavrentiadis scandal are merely a diversionary tactic which was concocted by the opposition to draw attention away fro

Opposition New Democracy on Tuesday accused the leftist-led government of fabricating the alleged Novartis bribery scandal to divert the public's attention from the controversial name deal signed last year with North Macedonia.

The parliamentary representative of the Democratic Alignment, Andreas Loverdos, called on the government on Thursday to remove the contentious provisions of a draft bill tabled by the government which led to the resignation of the head of the Greek National Commission for Human Rights (GNCHR), Giorgos Stavropoulos.

The Greek government continued to appear divided on Wednesday over the matter of whether to pay a one-off benefit to civil servants and public sector pensioners, amid pressure from both its supporters ahead of elections and the country's creditors.

When Deputy Labour Minister Tasos Petropoulos announced the prospect of handing out an Easter bonus to pensioners and civil servants (holiday bonuses were abolished by the bailout memorandums), Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos to hastened to nip the idea in the bud.

Following strong disagreements with creditors over the level of protection from foreclosure of debtors' primary residence, government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos outlined the elements of the bill finally tabled by the government in Parliament on 26 March.

He said the draft legislation will come to a vote within the week.