Workers in Greece have begun a two-day strike in protest against government plans to impose more austerity measures designed to tackle the country's deepening debt problems.
The country is expected to grind to a halt from Wednesday, with most flights grounded, public services curtailed and offices and shops shut.
The latest measures agreed by the government with the European Union and International Monetary Fund include more tax rises, more spending cuts, lower wages and pensions, and tens of thousands of public sector job losses.
Unions are talking of a death spiral, pushing the country even deeper into recession.
But while the government is under extreme pressure, it says Greece is in a fight for survival and it has to prove to the rest of Europe that it can be trusted to implement reform.
EU leaders are meeting at the weekend amid urgent calls for decisive action to overcome the crisis in the eurozone.
