GREECE-VOTE/REAX Greeks react to vote result, stock market slightly up

Record ID: 328404

  • Title: GREECE-VOTE/REAX Greeks react to vote result, stock market slightly up
  • Date: 18th December 2014
  • Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (DECEMBER 18, 2014) (REUTERS) (PART MUTE) CARS PASSING IN FRONT OF SYNTAGMA SQUARE AND PARLIAMENT IN BACKGROUND PEOPLE CROSSING STREET AND PARLIAMENT IN BACKGROUND PEOPLE WALKING SQUARE AND PARLIAMENT PEOPLE WALKING ON SQUARE (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) ATHENS RESIDENT, YANNIS KROUSTALLIS, A PENSIONER AGED 70, SAYING: "The result was as I expected. I was not happy with it, the country needs calm. And you cannot have calm when things play out like this, but neither the government nor the opposition seem to realize that we are on a knife's edge." (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) ATHENS RESIDENT, ELENI BOZA-GREGOU, A MIDWIFE, AGED 58, SAYING: "I worry about the future of the country, the way that things have become so complicated politically. I would prefer if the parties could work out a compromise together." (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) ATHENS RESIDENT, THEOHARIS TZITZIS, A REALTOR, AGED 40, SAYING: "In general, I don't think we should fear change, so, in this instance, there might as well be a general election. Let everybody try, I believe they all think they are doing what's best, so now let's see what they can do." VARIOUS OF MAN LOOKING AT NEWSPAPERS HANGING ON NEWSSTAND NEWSPAPERS HANGING THE EDITORS' NEWSPAPER HEADLINE READING: "SAMARAS SHIPWRECK" VARIOUS OF NEWSPAPERS HANGING ELEFTHEROS TIPOS NEWSPAPER HEADLINE READING: "A RACE TO FIND 20 LAWMAKERS IN 11 DAYS" NEWSPAPERS HANGING KATHIMERINI NEWSPAPER HEADLINE READING: "20 VOTES FOR PRESIDENT OR ELECTIONS" INTERIOR OF ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE WITH CHRISTMAS TREE INTERIOR OF EXCHANGE SHARE PRICE TICKER SHARE PRICE TICKER AND TREE SHARE PRICE TICKER WITH CHRISTMAS LIGHTS REFLECTION SHARE PRICE TICKER AND GRAPHS
  • Embargoed: 2nd January 2015 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA4AQ2YZH8ZOBJUSTCYC8QANH6I
  • Story Text: Some Greeks expressed worry on Thursday (December 18) after lawmakers failed to elect a new president in a first round of voting on Wednesday (December 17), leaving Prime Minister Antonis Samaras still looking for as many as 20 votes from independents and small parties to avoid snap national elections early next year.
    "The result was as I expected. I was not happy with it, the country needs calm. And you cannot have calm when things play out like this, but neither the government nor the opposition seem to realize that we are on a knife's edge," said pensioner Yiannis Kroustallis.
    "I worry about the future of the country, the way that things have become so complicated politically. I would prefer if the parties could work out a compromise together," said 58-year-old midwife Eleni Boza-Gregou.
    But others, like 40-year-old realtor, Theoharis Tzitzis, felt that change was nothing to fear.
    "In general, I don't think we should fear change, so, in this instance, there might as well be a general election. Let everybody try, I believe they all think they are doing what's best, so now let's see what they can do," said Tzitzis, indicating the main opposition Syriza party.
    Greece's radical leftist Syriza party holds a 3.6 percent lead over the ruling conservatives, a poll published after the first round of a presidential vote on Wednesday showed.
    Samaras has warned of a "catastrophic" return to the height of Greece's debt crisis - when it risked being driven out of the euro zone -- if his government falls, while Syriza has accused him of scare-mongering and blackmail to win support.
    Newspaper headlines on Thursday highlighted the government's failure to find the 20 votes they need, with one reading "Samaras shipwreck" and another "20 votes for president or elections."
    The Greek stock market opened down on Thursday, but soon rallied, rising slightly. At 0915 GMT, the Athens stock exchange's benchmark index was up 1.19 percent, with the Greek bank index rising 1,83 percent.
    The second round of voting takes place on December 23, and the final round on December 29.
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