With all the votes counted, Syriza won the Greek elections with a 36.34% of the electorate, against a 27.81% of its rival Nea Dimokratia. The noe-fascist party Golden Dawn came third with 6.28%, followed by the centrist The River with 6.05%, the Communist Party at 5.47%, the Independent Greeks at 4.75% and Pasok at 4.68%. George Papandreou, the former Prime Minister, failed to re-elect into Parliament with his new party.
Syriza fell 2 seats short of a majority government, electing 149 members in Parliament. As soon as the celebrations were over in Athens Mr Tsipras met with Panos Kamenos, leader of the populist right wing party Independent Greeks, and confirmed their coalition. This was anticipated as the two parties during the last few years often converged in anti-memorandum positions. The leader of Syriza will be sworn in as Prime Minister today, with the rest of the government scheduled to be sworn in Tuesday. In a break with tradition these ceremonies will be secular instead of the customary conduct by the head of the Greek Church. Mr Tsipras will also meet with Stavros Theodorakis today, the leader of the centrist The River, seeking to secure ‘a vote of tolerance’ for his government by the new Parliament. The Communist Party declined an invitation for a meeting of the Secretary General Mr Koutsoubas, however they have always maintained the position that they will back any pro-people measures Syriza will introduce. According to the Greek constitution the new government has to ask and receive a ‘vote of trust’ by the Parliament within 15 days since the Prime Minister is sworn. Syriza and the Independent Greeks will jointly have 166 MPs, but Mr Tsipras is looking to secure a wider support in order to start the promised renegotiations with Greece’s creditors.
The editorial team of Katoikos
