The Hellenic Parliament approved, shortly after midnight, the 2013 national budget. A total of 167 deputies, out of 300 MPs, voted in favour and 128 against. The country’s general government deficit is expected to fall to 5.2% of GDP in 2013, slightly improved from the 6.6% figure this year, while the government will present a primary budget surplus of around 0.4% of GDP.

"In a few days, we have been changing all those things that had not been changed in decades," Prime Minister Antonis Samaras told the Parliament, adding that Greece will either exit the crisis united or not at all, and calling on all political and social forces to display unity.

He stressed that "Greece has done what it was asked to do and this has been acknowledged by everyone" and that "now it is time for the lenders to do what they promised, and they will do so."

On his part, main opposition SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras said that "[w]e must stop the destructive austerity and sit at the negotiating table on equal terms...to discuss a comprehensive European solution, the restructuring of the debt, and repayment of the remaining debt with a development clause, as happened in Germany in 1953." PASOK leader and government coalition partner Evangelos Venizelos said that recovery was in sight. "We can reach a primary surplus in the first half of 2013 and see the first small signs of growth in the second half of 2013," he said.

Primeminister.Gr: PM’s Address to Parliament (in Greek); Kathimerini daily: Greek coalition wins budget vote comfortably, waits for loan tranche