ATHENS, Greece — Greece’s troubled left-wing government is seeking urgent relief from European lenders on Thursday, a day after it pushed a harsh austerity package through parliament, triggering a revolt in the ruling party and violent demonstrations in central Athens.
Finance ministers from countries using the euro currency will hold a conference call to consider rescue financing for Greece, while the European Central Bank will mull a request from Athens to increase emergency assistance to troubled Greek banks that have been closed since July 29.
In a post-midnight vote, Greece’s parliament voted 229-64 to implement more austerity measures that include pension cuts and sweeping sales tax hikes. But the large majority was provided by pro-European opposition parties and in spite of deepening dissent within Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ left-wing Syriza party.
Thirty-eight party lawmakers defied Tsipras — nearly one-in-four — including Tsipras’ powerful energy minister, the speaker of parliament, and Yanis Varoufakis, the former finance minister who headed Greece’s bailout strategy until his replacement 10 days ago.
The government described the vote as marking a “serious division” among its lawmakers, and indicated that dissenters in Tsipras’ cabinet would be swiftly replaced in a Cabinet reshuffle.