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Following an emotional debate and early-morning vote, the country’s parliament approved a raft of austerity measures that its worldwide creditors had demanded as a first step before negotiating a final rescue deal.

A final count has revealed the Greek parliament agreed to pass tough austerity reforms in a landslide, in news sure to inflame tensions among protesters.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras suffered his second major mutiny in a week, with 36 Syriza MPs defying him to vote against the bill or abstain.

The number of disaffected Syriza MPs, who see the reforms as a betrayal of the anti-austerity platform that brought their left-wing party to power in January, shrunk slightly compared to last week’s similar vote – from 38 to 36.

The package of measures, which had to be approved to open talks on a new multibillion euro bailout, was passed with 229 votes and 64 against in the 300-seat chamber.

Germany’s finance minister says the Greek Parliament’s approval of an austerity package is “an important step” but is warning that talks on a final bailout deal will be tough – and that an outright debt cut would be incompatible with Greece keeping...

The Greek bill was the first step in meeting requirements for negotiations to start on a desperately needed third global bailout for Greece – a three-year 85 billion euros ($93 billion) package – that will prevent it from crashing out of Europe’s common currency.

A final count showed 229 members of parliament out of 300 voted in favour of the measures, which included sweeping changes to Greece’s taxes, pensions and labour rules.

The collapsing economy has created an expanding pile of bad debts that have further burned through Greek banks fragile capital cushion.

A Greek official told CNN that the country’s banks, which have already been closed for two weeks, won’t open until Thursday.

Several sources said there was consensus among the other 18 ministers around the table during the “exceptionally difficult” talks that the leftist government in Athens must take further steps to convince them it would honor any new debts.

Leaders are discussing new proposals put forward by their finance ministers.

Greek lawmakers have approved a government motion seeking authorization for reform proposals as a basis for negotiations for a third bailout in talks with global creditors this weekend.

Lawmakers in the Greek parliament overwhelmingly backed a package of economic reforms and further austerity measures, in the hope that it would convince European creditors to back a third bailout of the country.

The pressure has been on Greece all day even after the Greek parliament passed a harsh austerity package that it hopes will lead to a three-year bailout.