Greece pores over bailout laws amid protests

Trade unionists, communists and pensioners angry at punishing spending cuts in Greece marched through central Athens on Wednesday as lawmakers set to work on legislation needed to secure payment of a second bailout for the debt-laden country.

Ringed by riot police, parliament debated a string of measures demanded by euro zone states in exchange for a 130 billion euro rescue, endorsed by finance ministers on Tuesday after hours of torturous negotiation in Brussels.

The bailout averts a chaotic default next month, but does little to allay doubts over Greece's long-term financial and social stability as the country faces spiralling unemployment and a recession in its fifth year.

"Those people in there are traitors," said construction engineer Antonis Malkos, 55, pointing at the parliament.

"Greece is an independent country, not a protectorate. When the programme crashes, and it will crash, the lenders will take away our national wealth," he said.

The comments reflected unease among Greeks over the terms of the new rescue package -- the second in less than two years -- giving Greece's European partners unprecedented rights to inspect national finances and make sure it sticks to the deal.

Dutch Finance Minister Jan Kees de Jager, most vocal among mistrustful northern creditors, kept up a barrage of scepticism.

"To be honest, I have doubts, but it's the best we could do," De Jager told French daily Le Monde when asked whether Greece could implement the new bailout programme.

He called for a strengthening of the euro area's financial firewalls around Greece, combining the current temporary rescue fund with a new permanent 500-billion-euro fund due to come into force in July - a move so far opposed by Germany.

Clutching umbrellas, several thousand demonstrators snaked through the central square, as others huddled in the rain in front of riot police guarding parliament against a possible repeat of riots 10 days ago.