Afterwards, they dropped back to normal. Investors foresaw widespread repercussions throughout the international financial system in the wake of a collapse in Greece. Ireland and Portugal, two more European Union countries, are also seeking aid from international lenders (Donadio). .
One member of the Socialist Party voted against the measure. One opposition deputy surprisingly switched sides at the last minute and voted in favor of the measure. A second vote will occur on June 30th to enact the measures. This vote will face obstacles over the timing of the privatizations, especially of the state electric utility, the Public Power Corporation, whose powerful union has close ties to the Socialists (Donadio). .
Papandreou and Samaras, the leader of the main opposition party, New Democracy, publicly berated each other for letting down the country just prior to the vote (Donadio).
"All of Europe knows that your party is responsible for the current situation," Papandreou told Samaras, alluding to the debt that accumulated exponentially in 2009 while the New Democracy held power. Papandreou, who made several failed overtures to the opposition for political consensus on the austerity measures, addressed the conservatives in hopes of gaining their support for the program. "Don't bet on failure," he told them (Donadio). .
Papandreou did not just blame the New Democracy government however. He also said the European Union was at fault for not questioning the governments unrealistic statistics. He said that Greece was lucky that their foreign creditors, the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, had given a "vote of confidence in the Greek people" by offering to help the country in their financial crisis (Donadio). .
Syntagma Square, right outside of Parliament, was overcrowded with protestors shouting, "Traitors, traitors!" The police fired tear gas into the crowd, but the demonstrators came prepared with surgical masks.
