Greek exit polls: Leading parties neck-and-neck in high-stakes election
17 June, 2012, 22:07
A voter casts his ballot at a polling station in Athens (Reuters / Pascal Rossignol)
TAGS: Election, Economy, Greece
The pro-bailout New Democracy party and the anti-austerity leftist Syriza party have gained roughly equal shares of the vote, according to first exit polls. At stake isn't just control of Greece's parliament but potentially the fate of the eurozone.
With 15 per cent of ballots counted, Greece's conservative pro-bailout New Democrats party has a 31.1 per cent share of the vote while radical leftist Syriza party, which is firmly against bailouts, is behind with 25.4 cent.
The party that comes in first secures an extra 50 parliamentary seats, which will be crucial to its chances of forming a new government.
Greece's New Democracy lead with 127 seats, Syriza have 72, and Socialists 32, according to exit poll.
The election was the second in six weeks, and was called after a vote on May 6 resulted in no party winning enough votes to form a government.
However, the vote is likely to decide not only Greece’s fate, but the future of the entire 17-member eurozone. If Greece leaves, it could spark a panic in other debt-stricken European nations like Portugal, Ireland, Spain and Italy.
Polls show that most Greeks favor staying in the euro and all the main parties would like to keep Greece in the single currency bloc. At the same time Syriza believes it can renegotiate the bailout deal with the country’s creditors.
Greece's creditors say a new government must accept the conditions of the €130billion ($164billion) Greek bailout agreed in March or funds will be cut off, driving Athens into bankruptcy.
17 June, 2012, 22:07
A voter casts his ballot at a polling station in Athens (Reuters / Pascal Rossignol)
TAGS: Election, Economy, Greece
The pro-bailout New Democracy party and the anti-austerity leftist Syriza party have gained roughly equal shares of the vote, according to first exit polls. At stake isn't just control of Greece's parliament but potentially the fate of the eurozone.
With 15 per cent of ballots counted, Greece's conservative pro-bailout New Democrats party has a 31.1 per cent share of the vote while radical leftist Syriza party, which is firmly against bailouts, is behind with 25.4 cent.
The party that comes in first secures an extra 50 parliamentary seats, which will be crucial to its chances of forming a new government.
Greece's New Democracy lead with 127 seats, Syriza have 72, and Socialists 32, according to exit poll.
The election was the second in six weeks, and was called after a vote on May 6 resulted in no party winning enough votes to form a government.
However, the vote is likely to decide not only Greece’s fate, but the future of the entire 17-member eurozone. If Greece leaves, it could spark a panic in other debt-stricken European nations like Portugal, Ireland, Spain and Italy.
Polls show that most Greeks favor staying in the euro and all the main parties would like to keep Greece in the single currency bloc. At the same time Syriza believes it can renegotiate the bailout deal with the country’s creditors.
Greece's creditors say a new government must accept the conditions of the €130billion ($164billion) Greek bailout agreed in March or funds will be cut off, driving Athens into bankruptcy.