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Greek MPs vote in austerity measures, amid protests

Greek MPs have voted in favour of a joint European Union/IMF bailout deal this morning

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Greek MPs vote in austerity measures, amid protests

Protesters clash with riot police as MPs pass austerity measures.

13 Feb 2012

Greek MPs have voted in favour of a joint European Union/IMF bailout deal this morning, as violent protests raged in the streets of Athens, and spread to Corfu, Crete and Thessaloniki.

The new austerity measures will see Greece receive a €130billion bailout and secure a deal with private creditors to remove €100billion from the national debt. In a bid to avoid national bankruptcy, the bill authorises cuts in wages, pensions and jobs amounting to almost $4.5 billion this year alone.
The vote, which took place in a sepcial late night meeting, came amidts a renewed violence on the streets of Athens, as around 80,000 protesters clashed with riot police in Ominia Square angered by the potential of new austerity measures. 54 people were injured.

"Vandalism, violence and destruction have no place in a democratic country and won't be tolerated," Mr Papademos told parliament as they prepared to make the historic vote. "It would be a huge historical injustice if the country from which European culture sprang ... reached bankruptcy and was led, due to one more mistake, to national isolation and national despair."

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