The Greek parliament is to vote on the 2013 budget, including proposed spending cuts of 7.3 billion euros. Once passed, the new budget will qualify the country for its next vital tranche of rescue loans from its international lenders.
Around 15,000 protesters have converged on the Greek capital's main square outside Parliament, as lawmakers are set to vote on the budget. The spending cuts include salaries and pension's cuts of civil servants, as well as cuts from social welfare, medicare, national defense and education sectors.
Greek financial authorities have forecast that the country would still have to face a nearly 4 percent economic recession and a 25 percent joblessness rate in 2013.
中国公共新闻摘编:GAN JADE |