THE GREEK PARLIAMENT has this evening ratified a major new package of austerity measures – dropping 15,000 public jobs and cutting the minimum wage by a fifth – in order to secure a second EU-IMF bailout.
Precisely 200 MPs of the 300-member parliament voted in favour of the deal, brokered by the leaders of the outgoing national coalition, in a vote which wrapped up close to 1am local time in Athens.
The deal paves the way for Eurozone finance ministers to confirm the second bailout, of €130bn, and wil allow Greece to continue negotiations with its private bondholders as it seeks to write down €100bn of its national debt.
The bailout had been urgently required by Greece, which has over €14 billion of loans falling due next month and would not otherwise have the means to pay them.
The vote was met with major riots in Athens, as fireballs lit the night sky and buildings were set ablaze amid widespread rioting and looting.
At least 10 buildings, including a closed cinema, a bank, a mobile phone dealership, a glassware store and a cafeteria, were on fire. There were no immediate reports of people trapped inside.
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