Greek parliament to debate austerity amid labour upheavals
AFP PHOTO / LOUISA GOULIAMAKI/ GREECE OUT
Greece’s austerity package is to be put before parliament today (5 November) ahead of a debate predicted to prove tense for the ruling coalition.
Two days of debate are planned ahead of a first vote on Wednesday (7 November) and a final vote on Sunday (11 November). A successful parliamentary endorsement of the package is seen as crucial for Greece receiving the next tranche of its €130 billion bailout package from the troika on international creditors.
Predictions are that the government will win the vote, but only just. Junior coalition partner, Democratic Left, which has a total of 17 seats, has said it will vote against the austerity package. However, according to Greek newspaper Kathimerini, between Prime Minister Antonis Samaras’ New Democracy, and the centre-left coalition partner, Pasok, the government can still muster between 153 and 157 votes, enough for a slim majority in the 300 seat parliament.
The parliamentary debate will be played out against a two-day strike on 6 and 7 November. Some power workers, however, are expected to begin striking on the previous evening, with some journalists also striking on 5 November in protest over changes to social security plans.
In addition, an ongoing labour dispute is also hampering relations between the Greek government and the troika.
Meanwhile, there is further bad economic news for Spain, as the latest figures reveal that there are 128,242 more people out of work in October than the previous month. There are now 4.83 million registered jobless in the country, a 2.7% increase since September.
Spain, the EU’s fourth largest economy, has the highest unemployment rate in Europe. NEW EUROPE
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