ATHENS – Greek prime minister George Papandreou called on lawmakers yesterday to obey their “patriotic conscience” and back tougher austerity measures, as they began to debate a five-year budget plan that will determine whether Greece can avoid default.
“Voting for the medium-term plan means we can close this chapter of uncertainty for the Greek people,” Mr Papandreou said at the start of a three-day debate on the programme in the Greek parliament yesterday.
Mr Papandreou will face his second survival test in a week tomorrow when lawmakers vote on the package of budget cuts and asset sales that is needed before Greece can tap a fifth loan payment from last year’s 110 billion-euro ($157 billion) rescue.
Meanwhile Greece’s main labour unions called yesterday for a massive turnout in a 48-hour strike which they hope will block the austerity policies. The main public and private sector unions said they wanted the country to “break loose from the chains of its lenders”. – (Reuters, Bloomberg)