| The government of left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras moved to provide housing allowances and emergency food aid to people in need. On Wednesday, Greece's parliament passed what it called a "humanitarian crisis" bill in order to help the poorest sectors of its population. In a move opposed by representatives from the European Union, the government of left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras pushed for housing allowances and emergency food aid to people in need. However Germany's Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble warned that time was "tight" for the debt-wracked country. The first package of social measures put forward by the newly-elected Syriza party has been widely supported by the Greek parliament, even by the conservative, former ruling party. Tsipras said that some technocrats are trying to scare his government with ultimatums. "We will not be frightened," the Syriza leader responded. The bill also included a 100-installment payment scheme for taxpayers to settle their debts with the state. Greece has been experiencing a deep political and economic crisis for the past five years, with unemployment soaring to 25 percent. The economy has shrunk by a quarter since the start of the eurozone crisis. The anti-austerity premier has said his country will not accept any return to the austerity policies imposed by creditors and has pledged to renegotiate Greece's US$252 billion twin bailouts. Tsipras said he hopes to achieve a breakthrough in talks over reforms during the upcoming European Union summit in Brussels. |