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GreekReporter.comGreeceGreek Election Results Show Historic Victory of Leftist SYRIZA Party

Greek Election Results Show Historic Victory of Leftist SYRIZA Party

Greek-Election-ResultsLeftist SYRIZA party managed a historic victory in today’s pivotal elections in crisis-stricken Greece and is very close to forming government.
Official Interior Ministry ballot results across Greece at midnight (approximately 67% of counted votes) show that SYRIZA will put 40-year-old leader Alexis Tsipras as Prime Minister. He will also be the first European leader to oppose the austerity measures imposed by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund during the economic crisis.
So far, SYRIZA could have between 149-151 seats in the 300-seat Greek parliament, with the final result to be determined later tonight. Former Prime Minister George Papandreou’s Democratic Socialists Movement (KIDISO) is left out of the House. Also, neo-fascist Golden Dawn is third party.
Specifically SYRIZA gets 36.1% of the total vote, New Democracy 28.1%, Golden Dawn is third at 6.3%, “To Potami” at 5.9%, the Greek Communist Party (KKE) at 5.5%, PASOK at 4.8%, Independent Greeks (ANEL) at 4.7% and KIDISO at 2.5%.
SYRIZA supporters are jubilant and have taken it to the streets to celebrate. Alexis Tsipras gave a speech promising a new day for Greece; a day of hope and changes for the better.
The pivotal election was characterized by anger, fear and hope. Millions of voters were angry at the New Democracy government of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras for having met the severe cost-cutting and tax-hiking demands of the Troika of international lenders. SYRIZA supporters blamed austerity for deepening Greece’s recession, which has pushed one third of Greeks into poverty, sent unemployment figures to 27% and destroyed industries and businesses. Now they expect Tsipras to keep his promises, renegotiate the bailout program and put an end to austerity measures.
Speaking to reporters after the first election results, SYRIZA economist Yiannis Milios referred to tomorrow’s meeting of European Union Finance Ministers in Davos where current Finance Minister Gikas Hardouvelis will attend: “I imagine that Mr. Hardouvelis will close pending cases of technical matters. This program, which was agreed by Mr. Hardouvelis as representative of Mr. Samaras, is now dead.”

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