Greek parliament approves tough reform bill demanded by creditors
The Greek parliament has approved an unpopular reform bill demanded by the country’s international creditors amid violent protests over the austerity measures.
Greece’s lawmakers early on Thursday approved the bill, which requires the country to implement tough reforms and austerity measures demanded by its international creditors in exchange for receiving a third bailout of USD 96 billion (86 billion euros).
The final count shows that 229 out of 300 lawmakers voted in favor of the measures and a further six abstained from voting.
During the voting session, violent clashes broke out between police forces and over 12,000 protesters, comprised of civil service, tax office and municipal workers, who had gathered in front of the parliament in the capital Athens.
Some 50 people were reportedly detained during the clashes.
In the wake of Monday’s bailout deal with the international creditors, the Greek Public Sector Union (ADEDY) had urged Greeks working in the country’s public sector to stage a 24-hour strike on Wednesday followed by a demonstration in front of the parliament to show their deep dissent with the deal.
In a referendum held on July 5, the majority of Greeks, including Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, showed their dissent with implementing more austerity measures in exchange for receiving a third bailout from eurozone lenders. However, in a 17-hour-long eurozone summit in the Belgian capital Brussels on Monday, Tsipras finally accepted nearly all the austerity measures most of the Greeks had refused to accept by a “NO” vote in the referendum.
Of all the austerity measures, tax hikes and increasing the retirement age have angered the Greeks the most and have split Tsipras’ own Syriza party.
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