Greece to vote on euro 18 Billion in New Cuts - by L. Alderman and R . Donaldo

Destabilized by scandals yet held together by a lack of alternatives, the Greek government prepared to push a raft of politically toxic new austerity measures through Parliament on Wednesday, a move aimed at securing international financing and ensuring that the debt-wracked nation will remain in the euro zone.

But some members of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras’s fragile three-party coalition government were expected to break ranks and vote against the measures, reviving questions about how long the coalition can hold together. 

On the streets, austerity-weary Greeks kicked off two days of nationwide strikes on Tuesday to protest the new measures, which will total euro 18 billion (US $23 billion) over the next four years.

Read more: Greece to Vote on $23 Billion in New Cuts - NYTimes.com