Greece’s government secured enough votes in parliament after midnight on Sunday to pass a key reform bill, ensuring further bailout loans to avoid default.<br /><br />However the session was fraught with tension, with a further dwindling of the government’s slim majority.<br /><br />Nikitas Kaklamanis, a member of the ruling New Democracy party, was expelled for voting against one of the articles in the bill.<br /><br />Ex-premier George Papandreou did likewise <br />but has not suffered the same fate from PASOK. <br /><br />Greece’s government now has only a majority of 152 in the 300 seat parliament.<br /><br />While the voting was going on, outside there were more protests against the reform measures being passed by MPs.<br /><br />Greece needs the fresh bailout to repay 9.3 billion euros of debt maturing in May.<br /><br />Despite the bill, including a 527-million euro windfall to be spent on poor, austerity-hit Greeks, the mood on the streets remains highly critical of the government.
