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Europe

Greece to lower voting age, adopt proportional system

Associated Press
Published | Updated
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    Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, left, welcomes United States Secretary of the Treasury Jacob Lew in Athens, Thursday, July 21, 2016. Lew stressed Thursday the importance of making Greece's debt sustainable, praising the country's progress in reforming its economy as part of its international bailouts but urging it to continue implementing the necessary measures. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) (The Associated Press)

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    Image 2 of 2

    Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, left, welcomes United States Secretary of the Treasury Jacob Lew in Athens, Thursday, July 21, 2016. Lew stressed Thursday the importance of making Greece's debt sustainable, praising the country's progress in reforming its economy as part of its international bailouts but urging it to continue implementing the necessary measures. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) (The Associated Press)

ATHENS, Greece – Greece's parliament has approved plans to lower the voting age by a year to 17 and adopt a proportional representation system, after years of economic austerity have hammered popular support for traditionally dominant political parties.

In a vote ending early Friday, lawmakers scrapped election law provisions that handed the winning party a generous 50-seat bonus in the 300-member parliament. But the country's left-wing government failed to win a supermajority of votes required for the changes to have immediate effect — meaning the changes will be introduced after the next general election.

Once rare, Greece has been governed by coalitions for the past five years following the country's financial crisis and international bailouts that have seen a huge rise in poverty and unemployment.