Polls open in crucial Greece vote
Greeks have begun voting in their second election in six weeks, and arguably their country’s most critical vote in 40 years, with its treasured place within the European Union’s joint currency in the balance.
The political turmoil has unsettled markets across the world, with fears that a vote in favour of parties that have vowed to cancel the country’s international bailout agreements and accompanying austerity measures could see it forced out of the euro.
That in turn would likely drag down other financially troubled countries and rip apart the euro itself.
The last opinion polls published before a two-week pre-election ban showed the radical left Syriza party of Alexis Tsipras running neck-and-neck with the conservative New Democracy party of Antonis Samaras.
No party is likely to win enough votes to form a government on its own, meaning a coalition will have to be formed to avoid yet another election.
Inconclusive elections on May 6 resulted in no party winning enough votes to form a government, and coalition talks collapsed after 10 days.
The vote, which also sent the formerly governing socialist PASOK party plunging to historic lows, sent a very clear message that Greeks have lost patience with the deep austerity imposed in return for the country receiving billions of euro in rescue loans from other eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund.
“I’d like to see something change for the country in general, including regarding the bailout,” said Vassilis Stergiou, an early-morning voter at an Athens polling station. “But at least for us to get organised and at the very least do something.”
Mr Tsipras, a 37-year-old former student activist, has vowed to rip up Greece’s bailout agreements and repeal the austerity measures, which have included deep spending cuts on everything from health care to education and infrastructure, as well as tax hikes and reductions of salaries and pensions.
The cuts have left the country mired in a fifth year of recession, with unemployment spiralling to above 22% and tens of thousands of businesses shutting down.
Greece has been dependent on the rescue loans since May 2010, after sky-high borrowing rates left it locked out of the international markets following years of profligate spending and falsifying financial data.
Mr Tsipras has argued that the terms of the loans were too harsh, but argues that repealing them will not mean Greece will have to leave the euro. Opinion polls show 80% of Greeks want to remain in the euro.
But his pledges, which include cancelling planned privatisations, nationalising banks and rolling back cuts to minimum wages and pensions, have horrified European leaders, as well as many Greeks. Mr Tsipras’ opponents argue that the inexperienced young politician is out of touch with reality, and that his policies will force the country out of the euro and lead to poverty for years to come.
For his part, Mr Samaras has cast the choice as one between the euro and returning to the country’s old currency, the drachma. Although he voted against Greece’s first bailout in 2010, when his party was in opposition, he backed the second bailout agreed on late last year. He has vowed to renegotiate some of the terms of the accompanying austerity, but insists the top priority is for the country to remain in Europe’s joint currency.
Nearly 10 million people are eligible to vote in the country of about 11 million people. Polls close at 4pm Irish time, with official results expected a few hours later.
Virtually unknown outside of Greece four months ago, Mr Tsipras' pledges and his party's strong showing in the May 6 elections, where he came a surprise second place and quadrupled his support since the 2009 election, has put him in the international spotlight.
Scores of journalists and television news crews from across the world jostled for space to cover Mr Tsipras casting his ballot in an Athens polling centre.
“We have beaten fear. Today we open a road to hope,” he said after voting, adding that he was confident of victory.
“Today we open a road to a better tomorrow, with our people united, dignified and proud. In a Greece of social justice and prosperity, an equal member of a Europe that is changing. A Europe of the peoples and of solidarity.”
After casting his ballot in a small town in southern Greece, Mr Samaras said: “Today the Greek people speak. Tomorrow a new era for Greece begins.”
