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from 155 to 143 and he must now try to impose unpopular austerity measures

beleaguered prime minister survived the first of a trio of tests that could sink the Greek economy and lay waste to the single European currency by winning a confidence vote in Parliament in their government remodeled. George Papandreou must now try to drive through a pack of wild spending cuts and the sale of household goods in order to obtain a new bailout of the EU.

With the complex effort to prevent a Greek sovereign default to a climax and anti-government and anti-EU protesters besieged the center of Athens, Papandreou won a vote of 155 to 143 in 300-seat chamber. Brussels and other EU capitals anxiously watched the drama in Athens before a crucial summit of EU leaders.

"Good news for Greece and the EU as a whole," said José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission. Papandreou's victory eliminates "an element of uncertainty from an already very difficult. The government can now focus all efforts on building support in Parliament for the ambitious package of tax measures and privatization. "

vote began three crucial weeks that could make or break the euro. Leaders in Brussels, spoke about the worst crisis in Europe since World War II, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) an ultimatum set by 17 single currency countries, and international rating agencies rank the terms of bailout for Greece as a defect likely.

To provide a lifeline of ? 12000000000 EU immediately and agree on a rescue plan for the second time in more than 100 billion ? in three years, Mr. Papandreou now persuade the Parliament to support a radical program of spending cuts, tax increases, and the assets of the estate recovered at the end of next week.

It must be done in an electric atmosphere with Greeks from all walks of life converge at Syntagma Square. Furiously punching the air as the political debate in difficult conditions of the poor economic situation, the protesters shouted "We give a vote of confidence." Riot police watched and tensions have increased, most Demonstrators threw bottles of water in the Parliament.

"In this country, we take seriously our democracy," said Ioanna Deloudi, one of thousands of demonstrators. "And we will protest until they are blue in the face because they are to blame for the debt that has accumulated.

"Doing the little man in the street, the source of low-income wage income to support the austerity, not to resolve this crisis, when not so long ago that did not even know the problem exists because no politician ever spoken, is totally unfair. "

A group of 15 public figures, including six former ministers of the EU on the first, sent a message of pessimism to European leaders, warning that the EU faces a future international framework.
"Europe is a good place these days," said the group, all partners with the Friends of Europe think tank in Brussels. "The trend towards greater integration is stalled and is in great danger of falling ... European leaders the EU in danger of becoming a marginal player in a globalized world where rapid change is evident that the benefit of Europe. "