| Series Title | Kathimerini |
|---|---|
| Series Details | 26.01.15 |
| Publication Date | 26/01/2015 |
| Content Type | News |
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Reports of the results, and international reaction, to the general election in Greece on the 25 January 2015. The left-wing Syriza coalition party won the election. The party gathered 149 seats in the 300-seat parliament, two short of an absolute majority. On the 26 January 2015 the leader of the right-wing Independent Greeks party (ANEL), Panos Kammenos, announced he had reached an agreement with Syriza to support the new government in the parliament, following an hour-long meeting with its leader Alexis Tsipras. Syriza had strongly campaigned against the consecutive austerity programmes put forward in the country throughout the previous six years, which resulted in big budget cuts and heavy tax rises. The crisis also had sent unemployment rates to over 25% and pushed millions into poverty. In reactions to the election results, Donald Tusk, President of the European Council said on the 26 January 2015: 'The European Union has stood by Greece from the first day of the crisis and is committed to continue to support the country in its efforts to put its economy on a sustainable path'. The European Parliament's President Martin Schulz said that Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras had the full right to be respected as the new democratically elected prime minister of an EU country, but also stressed that 'we have to stick to agreements made to stabilise Greece and the European Union'. Deutsche Welle spoke of the Eurogroup meeting of eurozone finance ministers in Brussels on the 26 January 2015, at which attendees spoke out against the idea of writing off Greek debt. Click here for more information on this meeting. Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem (and Dutch Finance Minister) told reporters that there was 'little support' for forgiving Greek debt, although it might be possible to ease the terms of repayment. In a tweet European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker reminded the new Prime Minister of the need to 'ensure fiscal responsibility'. There was also much focus on the reaction of the government, plus other political and economic interests in Germany. |
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| Source Link | http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_26/01/2015_546524 |
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| Countries / Regions | Greece |
