European Parliament

Greek Parliament failed to elect a president for a second time on Tuesday after 168 of 300 MPs voted in favor of the candidate, Stavros Dimas, meaning a third ballot will be needed on December 29.

MEP Eduard Kukan of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) bloc arrived in Tirana on Monday in the wake of last week's visit by Knut Fleckenstein of the European People's Party (EPP) bloc in an attempt to negotiate a solution that will see Albania's opposition return to parliament.

Parliament’s ethics committee is to investigate comments made by two independent MPs, Odysseas Voudouris and Theodoros Parastatidis, in which they appeared to cast doubt on the motives of lawmakers who voted for the government’s presidential candidate.

Government spokeswoman Sofia Voultepsi accused SYRIZA on Monday of forming a “clear alliance” with Independent Greeks to prevent a president from being elected, which would lead to snap elections.

“What we are seeing is incredible,” said Voultepsi in reference to the recent bribery allegations made by Independent Greeks. She accused SYRIZA of profiting form these claims.

Nikolay Barekov, MEP and head of Bulgaria without Censorship party, is to step down from the leadership structures of the coalition centered around his party.

In a press statement Barekov argues the coalition was set up with "electoral" purposes.

SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras said on Friday that he is determined to implement his party’s economic program if it comes to power but admitted that it would experience a challenging period.

At an emergency press conference on Friday, Independent Greeks leader Panos Kammenos backed allegations by his MP Pavlos Haikalis according to which a middleman tried to bribe the latter to vote for the coalition's candidate for president.

Responding to claims by Independent Greeks deputy Pavlos Haikalis on Friday that an unidentified individual tried to bribe him to vote in favor of the coalition's candidate in the first round of presidential elections earlier this week, government spokeswoman Sofia Voultepsi called for any evidence backing the claims to be made public immediately and for legal action to be taken if the claims p

Leftist SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras on Thursday categorically ruled out any kind of consensus with other political parties before elections.

By Nikos Chrysoloras

Led by Alexis Tsipras, Syriza is Greece's biggest opposition party and has pledged to annul the country's bailout agreement should it take power.

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