Despite protests, the Greek Parliament voted in favor of new austerity measures on Thursday. The group debated for 14 hours before narrowly passing the measures, which include cuts to pensions, salaries and services, as well as tax increases. The measures are meant to help Greece secure about $40 billion in loans. Workers around Greece have protested the cuts, the latest in a long line of austerity measures demanded by creditors since 2010. While lenders say that the cuts are necessary for the country's economic health, elected officials say it is a hard argument to make.
See "Fragile Coalition in Greece Narrowly Backs Austerity", Rachel Donadio and Liz Alderman, The New York Times, November 7, 2012