Papandreou wins vote of confidence

Georges Papandreou has scored a first victory. As expected the new government, appointed last Friday to defuse internal divisions within his own party, has obtained the edge of the 1.00 am (midnight in Spain) the vote of confidence in the Greek Parliament.

The 155 deputies of PASOK, the socialist party leader George Papandreou, came to the momentous event and voted in favor, while opposition MPs joined only 143 (there were two absences) and voted en bloc against it. "If we are afraid, if we miss this opportunity, history will judge harshly " , Papandreou asserted shortly before the vote, launching a new and fruitless appeal to the opposition to support the Executive.

In Syntagma Square, at the gates of Parliament, at least 10,000 people gathered to express their anger against the Executive and protest against the new package of austerity measures intended to implement. "Thieves, thieves," people shouted, waving to the Parliament several ropes with the noose hanging and characteristic of pointing their laser beams from the eyes of policemen deployed in the area.

But the hardest test for Papandreou will take place next Tuesday, when Parliament decision on the new package of austerity measures that the EU requires Greece to impose in return for unlocking the fifth installment (12,000 million) loan that decided grant last year and a new grant worth around 110,000 million euros.

The austerity plan to add to the already approved last year include new lows in the salaries of civil servants, social spending cuts, tax rises and privatization in mass. Again, it is expected that the package is approved with the votes alone PASOK and the face of opposition from all the other parties.

The new Greek government spokesman, Elias Mossialos, was convinced that the 155 deputies voted for PASOK and seamlessly united in favor of the austerity plan. "The package of new measures will in no case less than 155 votes," he underlined.

However, it is assumed that there will be strong street protests and demonstrations. In fact, unions have called for the vote to coincide with a 48-hour general strike, which was not the case in Greece for over 20 years.