'Euro can survive without Greece' claim ahead of key talks The Prime Minister negotiated through most of the night with Greece's European Union and IMF lenders, ending early this morning and later he is to resume talks with the three main parties in the country's national unity government. The government must agree new austerity measures demanded by the EU in return for a second €130bn bailout. A deal needs to be approved by February 15 if the money is to be available in time to meet redeem a €14.5bn (£12bn) bond on March 20. Ms Kroes said Greece's political leaders must realise that the Dutch and German governments can only sell the idea of emergency bailouts to their own taxpayers if there is proof of good will among Greece's leadership. However, Greek politicians - with half an eye on voters - are wary of yet more austerity demands from their "troika" paymasters, despite a stark warning from German chancellor Angela Merkel that the stand-off threatened the "entire eurozone." As the politicians prepared to talk, Greece was hit by a 24-hour general strike called by the country's biggest unions to fight the austerity measures being demanded by the EU and IMF in return for a rescue. Demonstrators marched under banners that read: "No to public sector layoffs!," "No to cutting the minimum wage!" and "That's enough, we can't take any more." Greek politicians are said to have agreed to €3bn cuts in healthcare, defence and local government over the next two years. Yiannis Panagopoulos, leader of the GSEE union, called the measures a "death sentence" for the country.