Greek PM Wins Confidence Vote

The Daily Telegraph reports:

Thousands of protesters converged on Syntagma Square in front of the Greek Parliament late on Tuesday night as the embattled prime minister survived a crucial confidence vote.

Demonstrators were dispersed by riot police using tear gas after a small group of extremists attempted to storm the parliament.

Socialist leader George Papandreou won a midnight vote, with 155 votes for and 143 against, approving a new cabinet following a hasty reshuffle last week designed to quell rebellion within his own party.

He now faces the even bigger challenge of approving deeply unpopular austerity measures later this month to secure further funding and avoid a national default.

"The road is hard, but there is light at the end of the tunnel," Prime Minister Papandreou told lawmakers ahead of the vote. "We as a people have been through worse."

When news of the result reached the square outside the crowd booed and whistled accompanied by a frenzied beating of drums. "I feel ashamed," said one protester, a man in his twenties as he walked away from the square shaking his head.