Greece Budget passed:

First step in financial rescue mission - Greece PM

ATHENS, Dec 7, (AFP) - After months of wrangling, soul searching and violent protests, Greece has finally passed its 2012 Budget — but now comes the hard part, living with it as the economy slumps and the eurozone struggles for survival.

“The situation in Europe is becoming more and more difficult and the time for crucial decisions is coming,” business daily ‘Kathiemrini’ said in an editorial on the Budget, passed by 258 votes to 41. “Unfortunately, the possibility of our having to leave the euro has not gone away but that does not mean that we cannot fight the battle and win it ... We are going to have to do the hard and unpleasant work,” it said.

Greece is reeling from the shock to its pride and credibility after financial markets turned against it because of its massive, unsustainable debt mountain of more than 350 billion euros ($470 billion), forcing Athens to seek EU-IMF bailouts. Many feel bitter about the way the country is portrayed as the culprit of the eurozone debt crisis and resent what they see as the intrusive oversight of the EU and International Monetary Fund after a first debt rescue in 2010.