The Greek government is due to face a vote of confidence, a crucial first step towards gaining a vital 12bn euro ($17bn; £10bn) loan.

希腊政府将面临一场信任投票，这是该政府获得至关重要的120亿欧元贷款的至关重要的第一步。

If the government survives the vote, Greece's parliament will be asked to back the latest spending cuts - worth 28bn euro - on 28 June.

These austerity measures（紧缩措施） and other reforms have to be introduced before the European Union and International Monetary¹ Fund release the funds.

Greece needs the loan to pay its debts.

Mass demonstrations²

Tuesday's vote of confidence is on the new Greek cabinet, which Prime Minister George Papandreou put in place last Friday.

Mr Papandreou hopes the new cabinet, and specifically the new Finance Minister, Evangelos Venizelos, will help secure parliament's backing for further austerity measures that are already proving deeply unpopular with the Greek people.

At the weekend eurozone finance ministers decided³ to postpone⁴ their decision on whether to grant Greece the 12bn-euro loan until the country introduces the additional spending cuts and privatisation programmes.

Greece needs this aid - the latest tranche of the EU and IMF's 110bn euro aid package - by July to be able to keep up with payments to the creditors⁵（债权人） of its huge debts.

If the Greek parliament does back the austerity measures, the eurozone finance ministers will meet again on 3 July, with the funds expected to be released by the middle of next month.

However, lawmakers are having to ponder（考虑，沉思） their decision in the face of mass demonstrations, strikes, and even riots.

The latest protest against the cutbacks involves workers at Greece's state-owned electricity company, who are on a 48-hour walkout.

BBC Europe editor Gavin Hewitt, who is in Athens, says ministers have argued that without further austerity measures in exchange for a new bail-out Greece is heading for bankruptcy⁶, but many Greeks appear to prefer that option to further austerity.

Mr Venizelos sai16o delay the loan showed that urgent action was now needed. "We have plenty to do," he said.

Olli Rehn, the European Union's Monetary Affairs Commissioner⁷, urged Greece to continue with its austerity measures.

"The greatest weight of responsibility lies on the shoulders of the new Greek government," he said.

Mr Rehn added that the situation in Greece was the worst crisis Europe had faced "since the Second World War".