February 13, 2012
The Greek Parliament, under heavy guard from riot police, on Sunday approved a deeply unpopular package of spending and wage cuts, defying tens of thousands of people massed in the streets of the capital to protest a further round of austerity demanded by the government's international creditors.
The package passed by a 199-74 vote, despite defections from the government ranks in the days leading up to vote. The two largest Greek parties—the socialist Pasok and conservative New Democracy—backed the measures, which include cuts in the budget, pensions and the minimum wage. Lawmakers, 27 of whom didn't vote, largely heeded the calls of their leaders and Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos. Still, the two parties expelled 43 deputies after the vote for not toeing the party line, and one socialist resigned his seat just before the vote.
"Two-thirds of Parliament voted in favor. That's a very significant majority," said Philippos Petsalnikos, speaker of Parliament.But in a sign of the intense public pressure facing Greek politicians, Antonis Samaras, leader of New Democracy and likely the next prime minister, said the measures should be renegotiated after national elections expected in April.
"I ask you to vote in favor of the new loan agreement today and to have the ability to negotiate and change the current policy, which has been forced on us," he said before the measures passed.
Pasok, which controls a narrow majority in Parliament, has fallen to 8% in the latest opinion polls.
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