ATHENS — Greece's prime minister says the debt-strapped country will not ask for any additional bailout money and hopes to begin abolishing austerity taxes later this year.

In an interview with private Antenna television, Antonis Samaras said Tuesday that Greece would not seek additional support beyond the 240 billion euros ($335 billion) already granted in bailout packages from other euro zone countries and the International Monetary Fund.

Samaras' conservatives face a strong challenge from the left wing anti-bailout Syriza party, Syriza, which wants to win European Parliament elections in Greece this month — to possibly pressure his government to resign.

The prime minister's Socialist coalition partners have suffered a collapse in popular support since the first bailout agreement four years ago, as the country suffered a mass rise in unemployment and poverty.