CAIRO (dpa): The Greek parliament was set to approve further austerity measures in a vote late Tuesday, while there were mixed reactions across the country to a German parliamentary vote which approved a second international bailout for the country. The German parliament, the Bundestag, backed the rescue package with a majority of 496, while five lawmakers abstained and 90 voted against it. The opposition Greens and Social Democrats voted with the government, but 17 of the governing coalition voted against. The Greek parliament is now to approve further cuts to wages and pensions in its late Tuesday vote, as part of savings measures pledged in return for the international bailout. The cuts to be voted on, including the reduction of the minimum wage by 22% and by 32% for those aged under 25, have caused particular outrage in the country, where youth unemployment has reached nearly 50%. The tabloid newspaper Ethnos led its Tuesday coverage of Germany's vote with fears that the bailout would mean tax officials from Berlin arriving in Greece, “The tax offices need their Germans,” its headline read. Right-wing newspaper Dimokratia ran with: “German paratroopers in tax offices.” But radio presenters interrupted their programs late Monday to welcome the vote, with one saying: “We can hope again.” Germany will be the largest contributor to the 130-billion-euro (174.4-billion-dollar) bailout and its leaders have demanded strict guarantees from Greece. Athens daily Ta Nea newspaper on Tuesday noted that Greece's problems had brought their own for German Chancellor Angela Merkel. “The Greek package has severely damaged Merkel's majority,” the paper headlined. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/VFMxR Tags: Austerity, Euro, Greece Section: Europe, Latest News
