Greece’s left-wing Syriza has won its fifth election in six years, in what leader Alexis Tsipras has called a “victory for the people”.
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Conservative New Democracy followed second with 28.29%, proving wrong pre-election opinion polls that suggested it would challenge SYRIZA for the first spot.
Tsipras is expected to form a government within three days, alongside leaders from the nationalist wing of Greek parliament.
‘We have difficulties ahead, ‘ he told supporters.
Tsipras said he would form a government with his previous coalition partner, the right-wing Independent Greeks of Panos Kammenos, who joined him on stage to rapturous applause from dancing, cheering supporters in Athens.
The European Union congratulated Tsipras on his victory, and pointed out that much work had to be done to overhaul Greece’s recession-hit economy, which has not recovered from the global economic crisis on 2008.
In his victory speech on Sunday evening, Tsipras avoided reference to the bailout, but Syriza has repeatedly said it will meet its side of the deal with lenders.
Voter participation appears to be on the order of 55 percent, the lowest ever registered in national elections in a country where going to the polls is obligatory.
Mr Tspiras, who struck a new €86bn bailout was losing popularity, but took a gamble on a snap election, which has proved to pay off. Far-right extremists Golden Dawn received 7 percent, a figure that’s likely to boost their presence in parliament by two seats.
The conservative New Democracy party earlier conceded defeat.
Head of the Eurozone group of finance ministers, Jeroen Dijsselbloem said he was “looking forward to continuing the reform process”.
On the other side of the Greek capital New Democracy voters were less than confident Tsipras will deliver stability and expressed fears that his actions will worsen one of the worst depressions to hit an industrialised country in modern times. That would give Syriza 145 of the Greek Parliament’s 300 seats, according to the (CNN). This is only four fewer than Mr Tsipras’s January victory, but again leaves him just short of an absolute majority.
After winning office on an anti-austerity ticket, he agreed in July to more punishing austerity for the nation in exchange for its third financial rescue in five years.
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“Even with a renewed mandate and shorn of the more radical members of his party implementation risk of the new bailout program remains a key concern”, says Michael Hewson of CMC Markets.
