Greek government survives confidence vote

[News_Editor]

Greek government survives confidence vote

2011-06-22 08:28:13 GMT+7 (ICT)

ATHENS, GREECE (BNO NEWS) -- The Greek government led by Prime Minister George Papandreou on Tuesday survived a confidence vote by 155 votes to 143 with two abstentions, the state-run ANA-MPA news agency reported.

Thousands of protesters rallied outside the Parliament and chanted insults to the government. Papandreou had just recently reshuffled his cabinet and all members of his socialist Party voted in favor.

After surviving the Parliament's vote, the Premier has to enact as soon as possible a new austerity plan and the reforms needed to implement it in order to secure a new European Union bailout agreement.

The Greek Parliament will meet on Wednesday to discuss the needed laws for the austerity measures. PM Papandreou will travel to Brussels, the Belgian capital, in order to discuss the EU loan after it was recently delayed.

On Monday, the European Union delayed until early July setting the main parameters of a clear financing loan to Greece until it introduces new austerity measures and its appropriate laws.

Greece is expecting a new 12 billion Euro ($17 billion) bailout to consolidate its troubled finances and avoid bankruptcy as the first one failed to stabilize its financial system.

Thousands of people have gathered in Athens' Syntagma Square since last week, just in front of the country's Parliament. Demonstrators and opposition parties have condemned the austerity measures and have demanded the renegotiation of the bailout terms.

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