Greek PM Papandreou survives confidence vote
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has survived a confidence vote in parliament as he struggles to push through new austerity measures that would secure a new EU bailout.
Mr Papandreou had called the vote to face down an internal party revolt and to help him pass deeply disliked austerity measures that have provoked strikes, protests and a slump in his popularity.
Lawmakers voted 155-143 for the motion, with two abstentions in the 300-member legislature, sticking strictly to party lines after a heated debate that saw sections of the opposition briefly walk out of the chamber.
Prime Minister Papandreou said that the road for Greece to reach its goals was full of difficulties and painful, “but there is light at the end of this tunnel.”
Conservative main opposition leader Antonis Samaras repeated that he would not back the austerity programme because he believes it is not working.
“We will not give consensus to a mistake,” he said during the debate on the confidence motion.
Samaras has said he backs efforts to cut the deficit and debt, but insists this must be done by revitalising the economy and cutting taxes.
Alexis Tsipras, leader of the Left Coalition, disagreed with the austerity measures, as well as with the government’s policy in general.
Addressing new Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Evangelos Venizelos, Mr Tsipras said: “The thing that you haven’t convinced us of, Mr Deputy Prime Minister, is how you can succeed today where you failed yesterday, following the exact same policies.”