Weary Greeks Brace for More Economic Pain after Tsipras Victory
Weary Greece braced for more painful austerity Monday as left-wing prime minister-elect Alexis Tsipras worked on forming a coalition to drive through unpopular reforms agreed with the nation's international creditors.
Tsipras was expected to accept his mandate at 1500 GMT Monday after meeting with the head of the Independent Greeks (ANEL), the nationalist party returning to the government after serving in the previous coalition with his Syriza party.
France, Germany, Spain and European Council president Jean-Claude Juncker pledged to help Greece through, both on the economic front and in dealing with a worsening migrant crisis.
The new government tasked with enforcing a rescue package worth up to 86 billion euros ($97 billion) will be sworn in by Wednesday.
EU partners wasted no time in reminding Greece to get down to work on the reforms.
"Looking forward to swift formation of new government with strong mandate to continue reform process," said Eurogroup president and Dutch Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem.
From buying a loaf of bread to a visit to the doctor, pain lies in store as the new government readies to raise taxes and rewrite the economic rule-book in line with tough reforms demanded by the country's lenders in return for Greece's third international rescue in five years.
- 'Syriza too tough to die' -
"There's a lot of work ahead and no time to lose," said Juncker. "As you know well, you can count on the European Commission and on me personally to stand by Greece and support the new government in its efforts."
Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said Greece's creditors -- the EU, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund -- would meet over the next few months to conduct a review aimed at releasing new funds under the bailout deal.
The economic to-do list was signed in July by Tsipras in a controversial deal that alienated anti-euro hardliners who then quit his Syriza party, stripping the premier of his majority and triggering Sunday's general election.
With all votes counted in the September 20 ballot, Syriza secured 35.46 percent of the vote, close to an absolute majority of 145 seats in the country's 300-seat parliament. Coalition partner ANEL can provide another 10 lawmakers.
"Syriza proved too tough to die," Tsipras, at 41 the country's youngest premier in 150 years and the EU's first radical left leader in office, told a victory rally in Athens on Sunday evening.
Tsipras, who had justified the deal he signed in July with European leaders as saving Greece from a chaotic exit from the eurozone, said the election victory would "change the balance" in Europe and strengthen Greece's fight against endemic corruption and hidden wealth.
- 'Gamble paid off' -
Syriza's main rivals, the conservative New Democracy Party, came second on 28.10 percent, while Syriza defectors who had formed a rival anti-austerity party failed to pick up the required three percent of the vote to enter parliament.
In an indication of Greece's weariness with five years of economic crisis and political tumult, nearly 44 percent of voters sat out the election -- the third vote for Greeks this year including a referendum on austerity. The abstention rate during the January election stood at 36 percent.
Post-victory celebrations also indicated crisis fatigue with only around 500 jubilant Syriza supporters turning out to congratulate Tsipras on a hot Athens night against 8,000 in January.
"We know people are tired, that tomorrow's measures will be tough, that people have had enough of elections, that this isn't really a night for celebration," a Syriza voter told AFP.
- 'Open issues' -
By now a familiar face in the corridors of power in Brussels and other European capitals, Tsipras has pledged to soften the edges of the bailout to help his country's poorest citizens weather the austerity storm.
"I could say the deal we brought is a living organism," Tsipras said ahead of the election, listing a number of "open issues" including debt reduction, privatizations, labor relations and how to deal with non-performing bank loans.
But the clock is ticking, with a review due in October by the lenders on whether Athens is abiding by the cash-for-reforms program. At stake for the new government will be the release of a new three-billion-euro tranche of aid.
Greece's new parliament, expected to convene on October 1, will have to revise the 2015 budget, taking into account pension and income tax reforms, including taxes on farmers' income that are set to double by 2017.
The government must also finalize a procedure to recapitalize Greek banks by December, before new EU-wide bank rescue regulations that could affect depositors come into play in 2016.
Tsipras must also move quickly to remove capital controls that his previous administration imposed in June to avert a deposit run.
A total of eight parties booked seats in the next parliament, with neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn in third place, followed by the Pasok socialists.
Source: Agence France Presse
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