The Greek government is set to hold a second vote on Thursday on an austerity bill that forms part of the bailout deal with the IMF and ECB. Amid public protests Greece is expected to pass the bill which needs to be implemented to guarantee the next tranche of financial support.

Greece's Prime Minister George Papandreou on Wednesday won a vote on the outline of the austerity programmes, which includes tax cuts and privations of public assets, by 155 votes to 138.

The measures to be passed through the final bill are said to total €28bn in savings by 2015, which are to help offset Greece's deficit crisis.