Greek leaders are issuing new pleas – and warnings – ahead of a crucial vote that will determine whether Europe comes to the rescue with another bailout loan.

In a televised address on Saturday, Prime Minister Lucas Papademos defended the thousands of job cuts, drop in the minimum wage and other austerity measures that would earn the country a $172 billion bailout loan and head off bankruptcy.

Socialist party leader George Papandreou and New Democracy Party leader Antonis Samaras echoed the prime minister and urged lawmakers to back the latest round of budget cuts, saying there is no other viable choice.

Papandreou warned any failure to pass the austerity measures would lead the the country's doom.

“We are talking about chaos, my dear colleagues. We are talking about the most dangerous and most painful consequences for the country and specifically for those that don't have any money. For the unemployed. For the middle and lower income classes.''

Samaras warned his party's members campaign-style politicking will not be tolerated.

“I know that very well around you there are some ambitious politicians who are trying to impress with anti-bailout agreement – rhetoric. Whoever does this should know that with this irresponsible attempt to act like they are more Catholic than the Pope, they won't succeed in even being candidates (in the next election) .''

The Greek Cabinet approved a draft of the austerity bill late Friday and the full parliament is expected to vote Sunday. European Union members have demanded the additional cuts in exchange for a new $172 billion bailout loan.

Greece must pay back $19 billion in debts next month. Mr. Papademos told his Cabinet Friday that Greece will descend into “a disastrous adventure” if it is unable to repay its creditors.

Despite the dire warnings, thousands of Greeks have taken to the streets, at times clashing with police, to protests the budget cuts.

Several thousand gathered outside the parliament building Saturday, calling on lawmakers to reject the EU's demands.

One of them gave her name only as Maria.

“We have come here because all this must stop. I think we can stop them (the politicians), we can overthrow them, so the bill won't pass. We don't want their loans or their money or their debt. We can't afford it. The people understand this. They're angry, so the politicians should be afraid.”

Another demonstrator accused the EU and the International Monetary Fund of trying to impoverish Greece on purpose.

“They (the European Union and the International Monetary Fund) want to reduce our labor costs to the level of a third-world country, so they can buy everything cheaply.”

Protesters also turned out in the thousands in the Greek city of Thessaloniki. Transportation ground to halt in Athens and around the country, as workers continued their strike for a second day.

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NAT SOUND AND ONE SOUNDBITE:

1. (Greek) GREEK ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY CLIMATE CHANGE ALTERNATE MINISTER, NIKOS SIFOUNAKIS, SAYING:

“Greece wants to surpass the crisis but we ask for some

understanding from Europe as Greece was very badly hit by

this but it is not the only sick patient.''

SOUNDBITES:

1. (Greek) PENSIONER, YANNIS KATSAOUGOS, SAYING:

“This should not pass. They should not have agreed to

this in the first place, to none of these memorandums. They

voted on the first agreement without even reading it. They

are totally irresponsible. It is a totally irresponsible

state. One minister said he had never even read the

agreement. How can that be possible?''

2. (Greek) UNEMPLOYED ATHENS RESIDENT, DIMITRIS KATSIAMANIS SAYING:

“With the 1.5 million unemployed that we will have in

the next 15 or 20 years, which will mean something like 30

percent of the population. Isn't this bankruptcy? Will we

save these 1.5 million? Because there is no recovery

programme in this agreement.''

SOUNDBITES:

1. (Greek) LEADER OF THE SOCIALIST PASOK PARTY GEORGE PAPANDREOU SAYING:

“This is the reality. This is our responsibility. I'm

calling on all of you to think about this very seriously. I

am sure that we will stop to realize the historical

responsibilities that we have. And once more we will take

the right decisions for the sake of the country.''

2. (Greek) LEADER OF THE SOCIALIST PASOK PARTY GEORGE PAPANDREOU SAYING:

“We are talking about chaos, my dear colleagues. We are

talking about the most dangerous and most painful

consequences for the country and specifically for those

that don't have any money. For the unemployed. For the

middle and lower income classes.''

3. (Greek) LEADER OF THE SOCIALIST PASOK PARTY GEORGE PAPANDREOU SAYING:

“The new programme is difficult. It is harsh. But it is

a sure road and our only hope not to live in worse and more

difficult situations. This is a time for responsibilities.''

4. (Greek) LEADER OF THE NEW DEMOCRACY PARTY ANTONIS SAMARAS SAYING:

“Are we or are we not a party? Will we rule Greece

tomorrow or not? Of course there will party discipline.

There always is in situations when there are critical

decisions to be made and it will not be any different now.

I am not asking just this, I am asking you to consider not

what you will vote but what would happen in this country if

it was crippled.''

5. (Greek) SAMARAS SAYING:

“This is not an issue of the party charter, this is not

a political issue. I know that very well around you there

are some ambitious politicians who are trying to impress

with anti-bailout agreement – rhetoric. Whoever does this

should know that with this irresponsible attempt to act

like they are more Catholic than the Pope, they won't

succeed in even being candidates (in the next election) .''

SOUNDBITES:

1. (Greek) Stathis Anestis, GSEE union deputy general secretary:

“I think it's a first, significant move that some of the members of parliament or some of the ministers had second and third thoughts, and were driven to that type of a decision.”

2. (Greek) Yiannis Panagopoulos, GSEE union president:

“The resignations are a reflection of this crisis, which in my opinion will intensify because the political system is failing to deal with the problem. It isn't just financial. Above all, it is political.”

3. (English) Petros Christodoulou, businessman:

“If you like Merkel and Sarkozy, then I think we're fine. This is the government in Greece now. There isn't a government. All these Greeks just steal, it's terrible.”

SOUNDBITE:

1. (Greek) Maria (no surname given), bank worker:

“We have come here because all this must stop. I think we can stop them (the politicians), we can overthrow them, so the bill won't pass. We don't want their loans or their money or their debt. We can't afford it. The people understand this. They're angry, so the politicians should be afraid.”

2. (Greek) protester (no name given):

“Those MPs who are in parliament, all three hundred of them, should resign. They are traitors.”

3. (Greek) Ageliki Fatourou, teacher:

“They (the European Union and the International Monetary Fund) want to reduce our labour costs to the level of a third-world country, so they can buy everything cheaply.”

4. (Greek) Fotis Kouvelis, head of Democratic Left:

“This loan agreement sets the conditions for the deepening of the recession of the Greek economy. It has no developmental potential and sets the ground for the further split and liquidation of the Greek society. On this basis the Democratic Left will not vote for it.”

5. (Greek) Belos Yorgos, member of PAME executive body:

“We are here today to give an answer to the new crime committed by the coalition government of PASOK, New Democracy and LAOS.”

6. (Greek) Belos Yorgos, member of PAME executive body:

“We are in 52 municipalities of Attica (region which includes Athens) today. We want to inform the people and call them to join us.”