Greece awoke with
a political hangover on Thursday after parliament approved a stringent
bailout program, thanks to the votes of the pro-European opposition,
amid the worst protest violence this year.
The
vote, vital to unlocking emergency financing from European partners as
early as Thursday, left Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras weakened by a
revolt in his leftist Syriza party but clinging to power for now.
The European Central Bank's governing council, meeting in Frankfurt, was expected to ease its funding squeeze on shuttered Greek banks, the first step toward permitting them to reopen after nearly three weeks' closure while cash rationing and other capital restrictions will remain in place.
European finance ministers were to hold a conference call on Thursday morning to agree on a plan for 7 billion euros in bridging funds to enable Greece to meet its immediate debt service needs and avoid defaulting on the ECB next Monday.
All 28 EU countries are expected to contribute, despite the reluctance of non-euro members such as Britain and the Czech Republic, after a compromise was found to use euro zone funds to guarantee their ring-fenced contributions.
Tsipras won 229 out of the 300 parliamentary votes in favor of the agreement he struck on Monday with euro zone partners on austerity measures and liberal economic reforms tougher than those rejected by voters in a July 5 referendum.
Some of the key measures, including an increase in value added tax, take effect immediately, although it will only be extended to hotels in October, after the tourist season.
But 32 out of his radical left Syriza's 149 lawmakers voted against the plan, six effectively abstained and one was absent, leaving the government without a majority of its own supporters.
"Tsipras continues wounded, until further notice," the front page of left-leaning Efimerida Ton Syntakton said. "Governments fall when they lose the support of the people, he says."
Among the dissenters were four members of the government, one of whom resigned, the speaker of parliament, and outspoken ex-finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, who compared the Brussels deal to the 1919 Versailles Treaty that imposed unpayable reparations on a defeated Germany after World War One.
The European Central Bank's governing council, meeting in Frankfurt, was expected to ease its funding squeeze on shuttered Greek banks, the first step toward permitting them to reopen after nearly three weeks' closure while cash rationing and other capital restrictions will remain in place.
European finance ministers were to hold a conference call on Thursday morning to agree on a plan for 7 billion euros in bridging funds to enable Greece to meet its immediate debt service needs and avoid defaulting on the ECB next Monday.
All 28 EU countries are expected to contribute, despite the reluctance of non-euro members such as Britain and the Czech Republic, after a compromise was found to use euro zone funds to guarantee their ring-fenced contributions.
Tsipras won 229 out of the 300 parliamentary votes in favor of the agreement he struck on Monday with euro zone partners on austerity measures and liberal economic reforms tougher than those rejected by voters in a July 5 referendum.
Some of the key measures, including an increase in value added tax, take effect immediately, although it will only be extended to hotels in October, after the tourist season.
But 32 out of his radical left Syriza's 149 lawmakers voted against the plan, six effectively abstained and one was absent, leaving the government without a majority of its own supporters.
"Tsipras continues wounded, until further notice," the front page of left-leaning Efimerida Ton Syntakton said. "Governments fall when they lose the support of the people, he says."
Among the dissenters were four members of the government, one of whom resigned, the speaker of parliament, and outspoken ex-finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, who compared the Brussels deal to the 1919 Versailles Treaty that imposed unpayable reparations on a defeated Germany after World War One.
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