Greece, Election Results

Greeks are in a state of shock at the outcome of the elections. The markets and investors have been spooked. Better not to have a government? (New York Times).

Antonis Samaras and New Democracy seem to have a big mistake in pushing so hard for early elections. New Democracy secured only 18.9% of the vote (108 MPs), far less than the 25%-30% to which Samaras aspired.

PASOK fared even worse, with only 13.2% of the vote (41 MPs).

The surprises were the performance of Alexis Tsipras, with his Radical Left Coalition Party (Syriza), which won 16.8% of the vote (52 MPs) and Nikos Michaloliakos' Golden Dawn party (Chrysi Avgi), which won 7% of the vote (21 MPs). Panos Kammenos, leader of Independent Greeks (Anexartitoi Ellines) won 10.6% (33 MPs).

What does all this mean? A new round of elections in June? Coalition talks begin (Wall Street Journal)

Athens News produced a useful guide to the parties in its 4 May issue.

Tsipras was quoted as saying his Syriza party will offer a "government of the left, a government of cooperation between the left and Green, progressive anti-memorandum powers", which plans "to suspend the servicing of the debt, negotiate to erase a large portion of the public debt, to tax the wealthy, reduce armaments, combat corruption, grant travel documents to immigrants wishing to move to another country..."


BBC update on Tsipras' position

The leader of Golden Dawn (Chrysi Avgi) stated "I am not a fascist. I am a nationalist. Hitler was a great personality". The party denounces the memorandum, refuses to pay "the odious public debt" and wants to lay landmines along the Greek borders, and arrest and deport all undocumented immigrants (Athens News). News conference here.
Wikipedia entry here. The Telegraph on the ultra nationalists.

Today's International Herald Tribune has on its front page "Greek voters give boost to far left and neo-Nazis".

Eurointelligence calls it "The Greek Insurrection".


Commentary from The New Athenian

Mark Lowen, BBC

My Corfiot hairdresser (an important source of political opinion) said that the country had committed collective suicide and was already dead and buried. I think he may have PASOK sympathies. For Corfu election results, go to the Corfu Channel (in Greek)

We'll wait and see.