The new Nikos Christodoulides administration seems to have passed its first crash test after the House plenum on Thursday voted against another extension to a freeze on property repossessions.
This gives the new President, who won last February’s elections, a breathing space to come up with its own proposals to assist distressed debtors.
In his pre-election campaign, Christodoulides had made clear he was against the suspension of foreclosures.
However, even though the foreclosure bill was not voted in, it has become obvious that things will be difficult for the new government when it comes to reaching parliamentary agreement on crucial issues.
And that a lot of behind the scenes dealing and wheeling will be taking place before a government-proposed bill succeeds in securing a majority vote before the plenum.
Regarding Thursday’s bill, the previous halt on foreclosures had already lapsed at the end of January – meaning that property repossessions have since legally resumed.
Main opposition Akel, the Greens and socialist Edek MP Costis Efstathiou had tabled a bill to renew for another three months the moratorium on property repossessions by banks.
But the bill on Thursday was defeated in a vote of 19 for, 22 against with the help of Disy, Diko and Dipa.