Greek Government Passes More Austerity To Unlock Vital Bailout

Greek Government Passes More Austerity To Unlock Vital Bailout

Greece's government defied raging protests at the gates of the parliament shortly after midnight on Wednesday, voting by an ultra thin margin to uphold a deeply fought-against austerity package needed to open for the door for critical European aid and stave off bankruptcy.

Last night, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras's New Democracy Party and its Socialist PASOK allies pushed through additional spending cuts, tax hikes and measures after hundreds of thousands of Greeks and protestors clashed with the police on Syntagma square in central Athens.

The bill, covering a total 13.55 billion euros worth of austerity measures over two years, narrowly passed 153-125 in the 300-memeber Parliament that witnessed one stormy session on Wednesday, where seven deputies were expelled from their ranks for not backing the measures!

The vote came as the Greek crowds took the streets for the second day of 48-hour national strike by the country's two biggest unions amid deep anger over the belt-tightening measures, which ended up halting public transport and shut schools, banks and government offices.