31 December 2012 Last updated at 08:22

In pictures: Greece's year of tumult

A homeless man examines food and gifts during a New Year's meal at an Athens sports hall, attended by Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos, 1 January

January 2012 dawned in Greece amid fears the country would leave the euro if its second bailout was not signed off by international creditors. Here a homeless man examines food and gifts at a New Year's meal in an Athens sports hall.

Greek riot police watch a blaze in Athens during rioting, 12 February

When Greek MPs voted through tough new cuts demanded by the creditors on 12 February, Athens saw some of its worst rioting in years.

Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos (L) and Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos (R) give a joint press conference in Brussels, 21 February

The bailout was finally approved at a summit in Brussels on 21 February. Lucas Papademos, a technocrat brought in as Greece's prime minister in November, pats the shoulder of Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos at a news conference. A few weeks later, more than 100bn euros of Greece's debt was written off, in a deal with private investors.

People look at the spot in Syntagma Square, Athens, where a pensioner shot himself in protest at poverty, 4 April

April brought the shocking news that a pensioner had shot himself dead opposite parliament in Athens. Dimitris Christoulas, 77, said in a suicide note that austerity cuts had wiped out his pension. Here people look at tributes at the spot where he died.

Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras (C) celebrates electoral success in Athens, 6 May

A general election on 6 May rocked Greece's political establishment, crushing Mr Venizelos's Socialists (Pasok). Radical leftist leader Alexis Tsipras - seen here (centre) on election night - swept his Syriza coalition into second place, alarming international creditors with his anti-austerity rhetoric.

New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras on election night in Athens, 17 June

After the parties failed to form a government, a new ballot was called for 17 June. The New Democracy conservatives came first and this time were able to muster enough support from other parties to form a coalition. Their leader Antonis Samaras, seen here on election night, became the new prime minister.

Supporters of Golden Dawn rally in Greece's second city, Thessaloniki, 28 June

The elections also saw a resurgence of the far right. The anti-immigration Golden Dawn party won 7% of the vote, ending up with 18 seats in parliament. Here its supporters rally in Greece's second city, Thessaloniki, on 28 June.

A protester confronts police in Athens, 26 September

As the Samaras government pleaded with eurozone leaders for more time to implement cuts, on 26 September trade unions held their first strike since the elections - an event which degenerated into street battles. Here a protester confronts police in Athens.

Protesters in Athens mock Germany with Nazi symbols, 9 October

On 9 October German Chancellor Angela Merkel paid her first visit to Athens since the eurozone crisis began. But her attempt to reassure Greeks of Europe's support fell on deaf ears for many. Here protesters mock her visit with Nazi symbols.

Police arrest Greek journalist Kostas Vaxevanis in Athens, 28 October

Greek journalist Kostas Vaxevanis made headlines after he published a list of 2,000 Greeks with Swiss bank accounts. Seen here being arrested on 28 October for breach of privacy, he was acquitted after a one-day trial. The affair came as international creditors put pressure on Athens to crack down on tax evasion.

A protester draped in the Greek flag faces parliament in Athens, 7 November

On 7 November, in the face of street protests, parliament (seen here in the background) narrowly passed a new round of cuts to keep the bailout funds flowing.

A deaf-mute union member comforts a deaf woman in Athens who reportedly threatened to kill herself on Omonia Square because of her economic situation, 18 December

As winter set in, the struggle for survival in a failing welfare state continued for thousands. Here, a man comforts a deaf woman in Athens who reportedly threatened to jump to her death because of her economic hardship. She had climbed on to a sculpture in Athens on 18 December.

Europe

In pictures: Greece's year of tumult

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