• Worries in the new Polish Parliament as European debt crisis threatens

    Janek Skarzynski / AFP - Getty Images

    Janusz Palikot, the leader of Palikot's Movement, a new progressive party that became the third-largest party in parliament, during the first session of the new Polish Parliament on November 8, 2011 in Warsaw. Poland's president on Tuesday urged the country's new parliament to take "brave and swift" action in tackling reforms to protect the economy from the fallout of the eurozone debt crisis. Having scored 1.7 percent growth in its gross domestic product (GDP) in 2009, non-eurozone Poland was the only state in the 27-member EU not to have fallen into recession amid the global crisis.

    Janek Skarzynski / AFP - Getty Images

    Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk attends on November 8, 2011 as a lawmaker the first session of the new Polish Parliament in Warsaw.

    By Phaedra Singelis, NBC News

    Recently re-elected Prime Minister Donald Tusk faces new challenges as Europe's debt crisis spreads, though so far Poland has managed to weather the storm.

    More news from Europe.

  • Greece PM George Papandreou survives confidence vote

    AP reports:

    ATHENS, Greece — Greece's embattled Prime Minister George Papandreou's government survived a confidence vote 153-144 early Saturday, avoiding snap elections which would have torpedoed Greece's bailout deal and inflamed the euro zone's economic crisis.

    Papandreou's government came under threat this week, following his disastrous bid to hold a referendum on the new European debt agreement. The idea was swiftly scrapped Thursday after an angry response from markets and European leaders.

    Late Friday, Papandreau said a new European debt deal for his country agreed on last month is an opportunity that must not go to waste.

    Alexandros Vlachos / EPA

    Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou (R) and ministers react after the announcement of the voting process during the third day of the confidence vote debate in Athens, Greece, on Nov. 4. Ruling PASOK's Parliamentary spokesman announced in statements on Friday that the process of forming a cooperation government with main opposition New Democracy and other parties will begin on Saturday, immediately after the vote of confidence in the government at midnight. He noted, however, that if the government failed to secure a vote of confidence and an interim government was formed, there might be problems in the payment of wages and pensions.


    Vladimir Rys / Getty Images

    Opposition leader Antonis Samaras lokos on during the confidence vote for the government of Prime Minister George Papandreou in the Greek parliament on November 04 in Athens, Greece. Papandreou won the parliamentary confidence vote, which is key to Greece receiving a financial aid package worth 130 billion Euros from the E.U.

    Petros Giannakouris / AP

    Conservative parliament members of New Democracy, left seats, return after a confidence vote speech by Greek Prime minister George Papandreou in Athens, on Friday, Nov. 4. Greece's embattled Socialist prime minister promised to start immediate power sharing talks to form a caretaker government, declaring his willingness to step aside if needed, but ruled out snap elections that he said would scuttle a major new European debt deal.

  • Petros Giannakouris / AP

    Pedestrians walk past the headquarters of the Central Bank of Greece in Athens on Wednesday, March 9, 2011. Athens hopes to negotiate lower interest rates and extensions in the repayment schedule for the loans, and the EU may offer such concessions as part of a comprehensive solution to the debt crisis expected to be unveiled at a March 25 summit in Brussels.

    Shaft of light and the Central Bank of Greece

    By Phaedra Singelis, NBC News

    Lucky photographer.