Bailout terms imposed on the Greek nation represent a double edged sword for the Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras.
On the one hand, his country is in dire need of money, but in the other, accepting the harsh reforms sought by the IMF will mean going in direct opposition to the popular vote on last week’s referendum.
If the bailout is accepted, the stability of his government may be in jeopardy, an in an ominous sign of things to come, a large number of members from the ruling party abstained or actually voted against the new measures. Another few members were absent from parliament at the time of the vote.
This is seen as Greece’s very last chance to remain in the euro zone. A rejection of the bailout would been a disorderly exit from the currency, and an uncertain outcome for the rest of Europe.