BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhuanet) -- It has been a tough week for Greece, with rowdy protests and strikes against the government's plans for public sector lay-offs and more spending cuts. Parliament approved the new cuts in order for Greece to qualify for further international aid from its creditors. But for the people, further austerity means more hardship and pessimism.

Calm is back in the streets of central Athens. Or so it seems. Greeks go on with their daily lives as their country is in its sixth year of recession. One in four is without a job. The government demands more and more taxes, while salaries and pensions are cut.

Anger is still here, as well as disillusionment:

"There needed to be changes (in the country) but not like this. These measures are punitive and aim at wiping the country out."

"We are cornered, with no other solution. We’ll just keep paying."

For the last three years, Greece survives on two international bailouts worth over 240 billion euros. In exchange, it must keep pressing ahead with painful reforms to get the economy growing again. Many Greeks believe the country cannot take more cuts or tax hikes.

The Greek government defends the new spending cuts, saying better days will soon come for this country. But people we spoke to in the streets of Athens paint a different picture.

"I think this winter, we’ll start fighting with each other to keep our jobs," said a lottery seller, who sold 60 percent less this year.

"We are not happy with any of this. We have lost everything, the government wanted another tax in September, now they say they want it now. All of us, who have worked our entire lives, are on the verge of not having food to eat."

There are still doubts that Greece will be able to pull off the existing bailout program. But the government’s biggest challenge yet could be convincing an increasingly restive public that, as it says, better days will indeed come.

(Source: CNTV.cn)