Greek MPs have voted in favour of further austerity measures against a backdrop of protests, in order to receive further bailout funds from European creditors.
The next instalment of its multi-billion-dollar bailout will be discussed by European finance ministers on Monday, and if agreed, will release to Greece a further €7.5 billion.
Speaking after the vote in the Greek parliament, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Greece had fulfilled all its creditors’ demands and now expected further funds to be released.
“It’s their [the lenders’] turn to fulfil their commitments, just like we did,” he told reporters.
“We deserve and we expect from Monday’s Eurogroup a decision regulating debt relief which will correspond to the sacrifices of the Greek people.”
Tensions ran high in the city as MPs voted, with anti-austerity protestors clashing with police outside the Greek parliament. The Greek people have been subject to a climate of harsh austerity for several years, as the country tries to adhere to the requests of its creditors in order to receive further necessary bailout funds on top of the 260 billion euros already received.
According to Eurostat figures released last week, Greece sunk back into recession in the first quarter of the year, with gross domestic product falling by 0.1 percent on top of a 1.3 percent all in the final quarter of 2016.