Probe into Greece's deficit

There has been a probe into Greece's deficit. Photo / Supplied

Greece's parliament has ordered an investigation into whether 2009 budget deficit figures were artificially inflated by the previous Socialist government.

Lawmakers voted 168-76 yesterday to investigate claims made by two former Statistics Authority officials that the 2009 deficit figure was deliberately set too high at 15.4 per cent of GDP, months after the Socialists won a landslide general election.

The Socialists, in a coalition government with rival conservatives since last November, deny the allegations. The massive deficit in 2009 triggered the country's financial crisis.