Greece’s turbulent year
Greece’s Alexis Tsipras has said his left-wing Syriza party has a “clear mandate” after winning a second general election in less than nine months.
But he said Greeks faced a difficult road and recovery from financial crisis would only come through hard work.
Syriza has won just over 35%, slightly down on its previous result.
That is again short of a majority, but Syriza will form a coalition with the nationalist Independent Greeks. Conservative New Democracy won 28%.
“I feel vindicated because the Greek people have a clear mandate to carry on fighting inside and outside our country to uphold the pride of our people,” Mr Tsipras told supporters in Athens.
“In Europe today, Greece and the Greek people are synonymous with resistance and dignity, and this struggle will be continued together for another four years.
“We have difficulties ahead, but we are also on firm ground. We won’t recover from the struggle by magic, but it can happen with hard work.”
Mr Tsipras was joined on stage by Panos Kammenos, leader of the the nationalist Independent Greeks, who also entered a coalition with Syriza after January’s election.
“Together we will continue the struggle we began seven months ago,” Mr Tsipras said.
Greece still faces formidable economic challenges. It is still in recession and the new government has to satisfy international creditors that it is fulfilling the terms of the €85bn ($97bn, £60bn) bailout.
Creditors are due to review the progress of the programme in October. Some Syriza MP’s remain opposed to the terms of the bailout.
Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who heads the Eurogroup meetings of eurozone finance ministers, said he was “ready to work closely” with the new Greek government.
“Now a solid government ready to deliver is needed quickly,” said European Parliament president Martin Schulz, offering his congratulations.
The latest projection gives Syriza 145 seats in the 300-seat parliament, with New Democracy on 75. This is only four fewer than Mr Tsipras’s January victory, but again leaves him just short of an absolute majority.
But the Independent Greeks are likely to get 10 seats.
Greece’s turbulent year
29 Dec: Greek parliament fails to elect president, leading to snap elections a month later
25 Jan: Leftist Syriza party’s Alexis Tsipras elected PM on an anti-austerity manifesto
24 Feb: Greece’s European lenders agree to extend its second bailout by four months
Jun: Marathon talks take place to avoid Greece bankruptcy and possibly leaving the eurozone. PM Tsipras calls a referendum on a possible bailout agreement
5 Jul: Greek voters overwhelmingly reject terms of third EU bailout in referendum vote
14 Aug: Greece agrees €85bn (£60bn) bailout deal with its creditors – its third in five years – allowing tax hikes and new spending cuts. Mr Tsipras resigns a week later clearing the way for snap elections in September, as he seeks a new mandate
20 Sept: New Democracy concedes election defeat to Syriza
Mr Tsipras seemed to lose popularity when signing the bailout deal, shortly after holding a referendum in which more than 60% of voters rejected the austerity measures creditors wanted to impose.
In interviews leading up to the election, Mr Tsipras said he had put his country above his party. He said that had he not agreed to the three-year bailout, Greece would probably have had to leave the eurozone.
The decision led to a split within Syriza, with rebels breaking off to form the new Popular Unity party, which advocates withdrawal from the euro. Initial results suggest the party may not win any seats in parliament.
Source: BBC – Greece election: Alexis Tsipras hails ‘victory of the people’
