GREECE: The leader of radical left SYRIZA party says he is optimistic of a win as he casts his vote in the country's crucial election
Record ID:
327799
GREECE: The leader of radical left SYRIZA party says he is optimistic of a win as he casts his vote in the country's crucial election
- Title: GREECE: The leader of radical left SYRIZA party says he is optimistic of a win as he casts his vote in the country's crucial election
- Date: 18th June 2012
- Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (JUNE 17, 2012) (REUTERS) ( ** BEWARE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **) SYRIZA LEADER, ALEXIS TSIPRAS, ARRIVING AT POLLING STATION TSIPRAS ENTERING POLLING STATION/SUPPORTERS CHANTING: (Greek) "Nothing will be the same from now on. History is now being written by the people!" TSIPRAS ENTERING VOTING ROOM AND SHAKING HANDS WITH ELECTORAL OFFICIALS/TAKING BALLOT PAPERS/WALKING TO VOTING BOOTH TSIPRAS VOTING IN BOOTH TSIPRAS LEAVING VOTING BOOTH AND CASTING BALLOT/POSING FOR MEDIA TSIPRAS SURROUNDED BY MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) SYRIZA LEADER, ALEXIS TSIPRAS, SAYING: "We beat fear - today we are opening the road to hope. Today we open the road to a better tomorrow with our people united, dignified and proud, for a Greece with social justice and prosperity, that is an equal member of a Europe that's changing. A Europe of the people and of solidarity. We are optimistic. The future belongs to the bearers of hope. We will win." TSIPRAS SURROUNDED BY MEDIA/LEAVING TSIPRAS WAVING AND GETTING INTO CAR
- Embargoed: 3rd July 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Gibraltar
- Country: Gibraltar
- Topics: Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA4ISRP41HH4Y8AWC2ZIL2NXDUL
- Story Text: The leader of Greece's radical left SYRIZA party, Alexis Tsipras, was upbeat on Sunday (June 17) after casting his ballot in the heavily indebted country's repeat election.
In a battle fought over the punishing austerity package demanded by international lenders as the price of keeping Greece from bankruptcy, opinion polls before the election showed SYRIZA, which wants to scrap the deal, running neck and neck with the conservative New Democracy, which broadly backs it.
The European Union and International Monetary Fund have insisted that the conditions of the package, agreed in March, must be accepted fully by a new government or funds will be cut off, driving Greece into bankruptcy.
But riding a wave of anger to rise from political obscurity to contender for power, Tsipras is threatening to tear up the terms of the 130 billion euro (163.75 billion USD) bailout.
All parties say they will keep Greece in the single currency, but Tsipras believes the agreement can be renegotiated without Greece having to leave, betting that European leaders cannot afford the turmoil that would be unleashed by cutting a member of the euro zone loose.
After voting he said he was confident of a SYRIZA win.
"We beat fear - today we are opening the road to hope. Today we open the road to a better tomorrow with our people united, dignified and proud, for a Greece with social justice and prosperity, that is an equal member of a Europe that's changing. A Europe of the people and of solidarity. We are optimistic. The future belongs to the bearers of hope. We will win," he said.
In an election on May 6, Greek voters humiliated conservative New Democracy and Socialist PASOK - the two parties that alternated in power for decades and are largely blamed for the country's economic plight - denying either of them a majority and forcing the repeat vote.
The party gaining the most votes wins an automatic 50-seat advantage but neither SYRIZA nor New Democracy is expected to win an outright majority and whoever emerges as the top party will have to hold coalition negotiations with smaller groups.
Whoever wins power may find their tenure is short-lived and, despite the insistence of EU politicians, some adjustment of the bailout terms may be inevitable if Greece is to cut a public debt amounting to 165 percent of gross domestic product. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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