Jeremy Hobson: It was another tense weekend in Greece. Protestors lit buildings on fire in Athens, as lawmakers did what they had to do to get more bailout money — they passed major spending cuts and reforms.
Marketplace’s Stephen Beard reports.
Stephen Beard: The measures are exceedingly unpopular among the Greeks. Think about this: if it were happening in the U.S. Greece’s minimum wage will be cut to $728 a month; in the U.S., the federal minimum is almost twice as much. 150,000 Greek public sector posts will go; if the equivalent cut occurred in the U.S., 600,000 would be losing their jobs.
Student Anna Marie Piscapani says the extra austerity has deepened the gloom in Greece.
Anna Marie Piscapani: We’re in constant fear. We cannot depend on anything; we cannot plan anything because we do not know what’s coming. We don’t see hope.
There’s even uncertainty over whether the latest measures will win Greece a second bailout. The eurozone finance ministers are demanding some further cuts, and will meet on Wednesday to consider whether Greece has done enough.
At the European desk in London, I’m Stephen Beard for Marketplace.
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