The Greek Parliament will vote Wednesday on the further austerity required for another EU bailout loan. The vote comes amid weeklong nationwide protests that shut down most public transport, schools, banks and government offices. Tens of thousands of union workers backed by the left-leaning opposition are expected to turn out Wednesday to protest the new austerity measures being debated, which amount to some 13.5 billion euros in cuts by 2016. Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is expected to narrowly win the support required to pass the austerity package. Samaras’ 176-member conservative-liberal coalition needs to gather 151 votes out of 300 in parliament for the new measures to pass.
The decision is expected to be announced around 8:00pm local time (18:00 GMT).
The second day of the nationwide strike, which is expected to last the rest of the week, has seen most of the country brought to a standstill, with public transport, schools and air traffic control shut down. Hospitals are also working with skeleton crews. Media broadcasts and publications were halted until further notice when journalists joined the strikers.
06.11, 15:47
A far-reaching national strike against new austerity measures has left Greece paralyzed. Thousands marched in the streets of Athens Tuesday in protest against measures that unions say will sink the country’s already-flagging economy.
Eurozone crisis
05.11, 17:33
Debt-ridden Greece enters yet another week of anti-austerity protests. The country risks coming to a standstill as the parliament votes on a fresh austerity package of cost cuts and tax hikes for a new cash injection from its international creditors.
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