Greek PM says expects parliament to pass austerity plan
BRUSSELS | Fri Jun 24, 2011 9:51am EDT
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said on Friday he expected his socialist party to muster the parliamentary majority required to pass a mid-term austerity plan next week.
Papandreou said he believed his ruling PASOK party's deputies had shown they were determined to avoid
Greece slipping into default. Without approval of the plan, Greece will not receive the next tranche of an EU-IMF bailout and will not be able to meet its payments next month.
"This maturity makes me trust the deputies' judgment in order for us to overcome this obstacle and continue with these really tough reforms which will be beneficial for the country," he told a news conference on the sidelines of an EU summit.
Acknowledging public anger on the streets of Athens, Papandreou said Greece's tax system remained unjust and his government would redouble efforts to reform it.
"The greatest injustice in our country, and it is indeed an injustice, is the tax system," Papandreou said.