After bailout deal, Tsipras faces opposition at home

Almost 30 Syriza lawmakers are threatening to oppose the reforms demanded by Greece's international creditors.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is facing open revolt from some of his own ministers as he seeks support for a bailout deal that, while saving the country from financial collapse, will cause years of more pain for Greeks.

The government must pass a raft of measures through Parliament by Wednesday night, including consumer tax increases and pension reforms, in order to start negotiations with European creditors on a third bailout worth as much as 85bn euros ($95 bn).

Tsipras battled to hold his ruling Syriza party together as opposition mounted to a shocking new bailout deal that requires Athens to push through tough reforms within two days.

With around 30 hardline Syriza lawmakers threatening to oppose the latest tough reforms demanded by Greece's international creditors, Tsipras faced the unenviable task of turning to pro-austerity opposition parties to push the deal through parliament by Wednesday.

In the agreement struck on Monday with the eurozone to prevent Greece crashing out of the euro, the Greek parliament must pass sweeping changes to labour laws, pensions, VAT and taxes.

Only then will the 18 other eurozone leaders start negotiations over what Greece is to get in return: a three-year bailout worth up to €86 billion, its third rescue programme in five years.

With much of the party up in arms, Tsipras loyalists were hard at work on Tuesday to convince a sceptical party that the tough cuts could be softened through alternative measures.

Syriza's junior coalition partner, the nationalist Independent Greeks party (ANEL) also said it would not approve the tough measures but would stay in the government.

Tsipras has predicted "the great majority of Greek people will support" the deal, which he said includes help to ease Greece's huge burden of debt and revive its crippled banking system.

The prime minister said he took responsibility for a tough bailout deal clinched with the eurozone to save the near-insolvent country, despite not believing in many of the draconian reforms it demands.