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The Greek Parliament is fast-processing the discussion on the third bailout programme for the country, which will continue for three years and is worth €87 billion. Yesterday, the council of parliamentary speakers decided by a majority to resume the work of the parliament, which officially is in its summer recess. The only one who voted against was the deputy parliamentary speaker of the Communist Party, Giorgos Lambroulis. His argument: "I am voting against, to prevent the discussion on the third Memorandum".

The procedure began at 9.30 a.m., with parliamentary committees debating the bill ushering in the new programme. Around noon, they will be another meeting of the parliamentary speakers, which will specify the timeframe of the plenary discussion and the vote itself. Alexis Tsipras's government requested that the discussion and the voting be fast-tracked, plenary debate given a start in the afternoon, and the bill put to the vote at about midnight.

The parliamentary speaker, Zoe Kostantopoulou, insists however that debates be carried over to next week. The lawmakers will have to decide on her request before debating the bill itself.

Anyhow, today will be a difficult day for both the PM and SYRIZA itself. Tsipras today will join the club of Greek prime ministers who have not only voted and signed yet another memorandum with the creditors, but also witnessed the disintegration of their own parties. Dozens of lawmakers from the ruling coalition are set to vote against the agreement with the creditors, which pushes the prime minister to seriously deliberate calling new elections in September.

Sources of the Radical Left have warned that the 35 MPs of Panagiotis Lafazanis' Left Platform are fairly likely to announce their split from SYRIZA even before the start of debates on the third bailout. Former Deputy Defence Minister Costas Isichos openly stated that "the NO front will come out in flesh and blood sooner rather than later."