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Third Greek bailout will lead to 'hunger on the streets', says Athens chaplain

by Aaron James

Revd Canon Malcolm Bradshaw was speaking after Greece's parliament approved a £60 billion pound bailout package, which includes rises in taxes, and spending cuts.

Eurozone finance ministers are meeting on Friday to decide whether to finally approve the agreement.

The bailout comes despite the Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' ruling Syriza party originally campaigning on an anti-austerity platform.

The vote in favour of the package came after an all-night debate which included significant opposition from many of his own politicians in the Syriza party.

Mr Tsipras has said the deal was a necessary choice.

Without the fresh bailout money, Greece's banks would have continued to remain closed, and the country would have eventually become bankrupt.

However the United Nations, as well as other financial experts have said that Greece's debt is unsustainable, and the methods in which the country is being forced to adopt are making things worse.

Around 1 in 4 Greeks are currently unemployed, and the country is currently £320bn in debt.

Revd Canon Malcolm Bradshaw told Premier's News Hour also said Greek politics is in turmoil given the splits within the Syriza Party, and that it is unable to cope with the migrant crisis, which is significantly affecting the south European country.

He said: "Whether the vote was for the bailout or not for the bailout, both of them are very difficult programmes for the people of Greece.

"From September onwards we're going to have more and more austerity here in Greece, which will probably emerge as seeing some hunger on the streets.

"The [Syriza] Party's now split down the middle. The present government hasn't got enough support, and it only got the vote through yesterday because the opposition supported that vote. Basically Greece is without a firm government.

"Can I just remind you that there's the whole issue of migrants which is here... 55,000 illegal immigrants came into Greece just in July, and the government has no resources. That's a humanitarian disaster, here in Greece at the moment."

Listen to Premier's Hannah Tooley speaking to Revd Canon Malcolm Bradshaw here:

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