Protesters have gathered outside parliament in Greece ahead of a vote on further austerity measures in return for more global bailout money.
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Tsakalotos warned of the price of a “failed state” if the crucial talks on Monday run aground.
The bill, introduced as part of the requirements the country must meet under its third global bailout, is set to increase social security and pension contributions, and raise taxes for most people.
After months of negotiations with Greece’s worldwide lenders – other eurozone countries and the global Monetary Fund – Mr Tsipras called a referendum and new elections last summer, dropping his anti-bailout pretence and signing up to a third programme of loans.
Greece’s biggest unions called for the larger protest Sunday, and most in attendance were Communist party sympathizers.
Euro zone finance ministers gather in Brussels Monday for a eurogroup meeting on Greece as the Greek parliament prepared to vote on a package of measures created to unlock the next tranche of bailout money.
“Nobody should believe that another Greek crisis, leading perhaps to another failed state in the region, could be beneficial to anyone”.
Alexis Tsipras, current Prime Minister of Greece.
The austerity measures, to the tune of 5.4 billion euros ($6.2 billion), are part of a package of painful reforms that the European Union and global creditors are demanding in return for an 86 billion-euro bailout agreed to last July in a bid to pull Greece out of its debt crisis.
The strike disrupted public transport, leaving travelers stranded as island ferries were canceled until Tuesday.
There were minor clashes outside parliament in central Athens where lawmakers were discussing controversial tax and pension reforms.
International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde warned there were “significant gaps” in Greece’s reform offers, but she also pressed for debt relief in a letter to the finance ministers ahead of the meeting.
“The reform on pensions, now in parliament, addresses in a radical way the sustainability of the system over the long run”, said Tsakalatos.
Once again protesters have gathered in Syntagma Square, just outside Greece’s parliament, as lawmakers debate tax and pensions reforms inside the building.
In new growth forecasts published last week the European Commission said that Greece will be the only eurozone member in recession this year with a contraction of 0.3% as fallout from debt crisis continues to affect its economy.
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The socialist Syriza government is hoping to pass the cuts Sunday prior to a Monday meeting of the Eurozone where Greece will seek billions in new loans needed to avoid default this summer.
