Portugal's PM survives no confidence vote
Portugal's prime minister survives no confidence vote amid political crisis over austerity
LISBON, Portugal (AP) -- Portuguese Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho has survived a no confidence vote as he struggles to prevent early elections amid deep differences over the austerity measures the country is pursuing in return for rescue funds.
The proposal, pushed in Parliament by the Green Party, failed by 131 votes to 87.
Coelho, who is leader of the Social Democrats, is negotiating with the junior party in the coalition, a couple of weeks after the government almost collapsed. Coelho is also talking with the main Socialist opposition to see if an agreement can be cobbled together.
A deadline of Sunday has been set.
Portugal has been relying on 78 billion euros ($101 billion) of bailout funds from its euro partners and the International Monetary Fund for the past couple years.