Greek MPs vote Yes for bailout deal
Greek bailout approved despite many Syriza MPs vote against bill amid violent Athens protests
Riot police used pepper spray and tear gas on Wednesday night against youths who were hurling Molotov cocktails in Athens
The Greek parliament yesterday voted in favour of tough austerity measures despite opposition from a number of government MPs.
The vote took place early on Thursday morning after a lengthy and at times fiery debate about how a new bailout package would impact on the debt-ridden country.
"We don't believe in it, but we are forced to adopt it," Tsipras told MPs.
The package passed with 229 votes in favour in the 300-seat chamber, but 38 Syriza MPs abstained or voted against the government, including former Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, Energy Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis, Deputy Labour Minister Dimitris Stratoulis and speaker of parliament Zoe Constantopoulou.
Prior to the vote, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras made a final appeal for support of the tough bailout measures imposed by European partners this week, telling legislators there was no alternative, even though he disagreed with the measures.
The vote means the government lost its majority but is expected to survive. Eurozone finance ministers are due to discuss the vote in a conference call later today.
On Wednesday the European Commission proposed a €7 billion "bridging" loan to help Greece pay debt interest due in several days.
The bailout deal provides for Greece to receive up to €86 billion. Under the terms agreed in Brussels on Monday, the first tranche of legislation relating to tax and pensions had to be passed by Wednesday.
Violent clashes
Earlier, on Wednesday night, riot police used pepper spray and tear gas to fight back youths who were hurling Molotov cocktails and rocks at police during an anti-austerity protest in Athens.
Police said about 12,500 people were at the rally at Syntagma Square.
The clashes broke out just as lawmakers were starting to debate the austerity bill, which includes consumer tax increases and pension reforms.
Tsipras, has faced strident opposition to the bill from his own radical left Syriza party, but said it was the best possible deal he could get to prevent Greece from being forced out of Europe's joint euro currency.
Earlier on Wednesday, however, his former finance minister Varoufakis told parliament that Greece's rescue deal was like the Versailles treaty, which forced crushing reparations on Germany after World War One and led to the rise of Adolf Hitler.
