| Author (Person) | Featherstone, Kevin |
|---|---|
| Series Title | EUROPP Blog |
| Series Details | 31.12.14 |
| Publication Date | 31/12/2014 |
| Content Type | Journal | Series | Blog |
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On 29 December 2014, the Greek Parliament failed to elect a new President, triggering snap elections for 25 January 2015. With Alexis Tsipras’ Syriza currently leading opinion polls, the new elections have raised concerns over the Greek economy, given Tsipras’ stated intention to renegotiate the terms of the country’s bailout. Kevin Featherstone writes that while it is far from certain that Syriza will receive enough support to gain a parliamentary majority, the elections could set up a clash between Tsipras and a German political leadership which is unwilling to compromise on its commitment to austerity and structural reforms. Deutsche Welle reported that German government spokesman Georg Streiter had said on the 4 January 2015 that 'Berlin expected whichever party took power following Greece's general election to stay the course on the terms of the country's international bailout, which had kept Athens from going into default'. Spiegel Online International wrote in a feature published on the 5 January 2015 that Chancellor Merkel was willing to accept a 'Grexit' (Greece leaving the eurozone) should a new leftist government in Athens demand concessions. |
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| Source Link | Link to Main Source http://bit.ly/1tiJnfg |
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| Countries / Regions | Europe, Greece |
