Greece faces ‘suicide’ vote on austerity / Greece faces ‘fire sale’ shortfall

Features preview the important vote in the Greek Parliament on the 29 June 2011 on a Greek austerity programme.

Against a backdrop of rising social unrest and labour movement militancy, the socialist government of George Papandreou, Prime Minister and Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos, urged the Greek parliament to approve a €28bn, five-year plan of austerity measures and structural reforms in a debate 27-29 June 2011. Should legislators reject the plan, Greece might not receive the fifth tranche of a €110bn European Union-International Monetary Fund loan put together in 2010 to avert a debt default.

Trade unions in Greece held a 48-hour general strike on the 28-29 June 2011.

On the eve of the vote in the Greek parliament the European Commission warned Greek MPs that if they did not vote the right way, then 'everything changes' as to whether 'EU solidarity continues'.

Spiegel Online International, 28.6.11: Europe Anxiously Awaits Greek Vote http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,771172,00.html

ESO: Background information: Rebels urged to back Greek austerity deal / Europe looks for contingency plan B / EU ‘Brady bonds’ plan for Greece http://www.europeansources.info/record/rebels-urged-to-back-greek-austerity-deal-europe-looks-for-contingency-plan-b-eu-brady-bonds-plan-for-greece/

ESO: Background information: The Greek debt crisis of 2010 http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-greek-debt-crisis-key-sources/

BBC News, 29.6.11: Greece crisis: MPs set to vote on austerity package http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13953077

Kathimerini, 28.6.11: Eleventh-hour effort to secure vote http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_22629_28/06/2011_396357

Kathimerini, 28.6.11: Focus of world economy on Greece http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite2_18368_28/06/2011_396322

EUObserver, 28.6.11: EU to Greece: No more solidarity if you vote No http://euobserver.com/9/32563

EurActiv, 29.6.11: EU warns Greece rejecting austerity may lead to default http://www.euractiv.com/euro-finance/eu-warns-greece-rejecting-auster-news-506047

Deutsche Welle, 28.6.11: Greek premier pleads for austerity approval as protests get violent http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15193371,00.html

France24, 29.6.11: Greek MPs set to vote on crucial austerity bill http://www.france24.com/en/20110629-greek-mps-vote-crucial-austerity-bill-athens-riots-economy-markets

The New York Times, 19.7.11: Papandreou fights his left-wing family http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/783081-papandreou-fights-his-left-wing-family

Eleftherotypia, 29.6.11: A country on tenterhooks (via PressEurop) http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/748021-country-tenterhooks

BBC News, 29.6.11: Greece passes key austerity vote http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13960947

EUObserver, 29.6.11: As police crush protests, EU narrowly wins Greek vote http://euobserver.com/9/32566

European Commission: RAPID: MEMO/11/472: Joint statement by President Barroso and President Van Rompuy following the vote in the Greek Parliament on the revised economic programme http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/11/472&format=PDF&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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