Greece’s left-wing election victors Syriza have formed a coalition with the right-ring Independent Greeks to build a new government.
The leader of Syriza, Alexis Tsipras, will be its Prime Minister and is expected to appoint his cabinet later today when he submits the names to President Karolos Papoulias.
Tsipras has campaigned on a series of economic policies that could see Greece tear up the terms of its deal with creditors that has kept the country afloat since 2010.
"In Greece, democracy will return," the 40-year-old told a throng of reporters as he voted in Athens today. "The message is that our common future in Europe is not the future of austerity."
The combination of Syriza's 149 MPs and the Independent Greeks' group of 13 will give the Government a slim majority of 162 seats out of 300.
In a statement to reporters as he emerged from Syriza's headquarters this morning, Independent Greeks leader Panos Kammenos said: “I want to say, simply, that from this moment, there is a government. The Independent Greeks will give a vote of confidence to the Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
“The aim for all Greeks is to embark on a new day, with full sovereignty.”
Syriza, swept to a historic victory yesterday with its radical pledge for a “new deal” for the country’s finances, vowing to completely re-write its massive bailout deal with the Eurozone.
It narrowly missed out on a majority in the Greek parliament but beat current Prime Minister Antonis Samaras's conservative coalition into second place and the neo-fascist Golden Dawn into third.
After Greece’s elections, a new European front between traditional parties and their anti-austerity challengers is set to open on Monday when the Andalusian Socialist premier Susana Diaz is all but certain to make a call for snap regional elections for 22 March.
It would act as a curtain-raiser for a year of elections across Spain, with Podemos, a new anti-austerity party, expected to be a serious contender, much like Syriza in Greece. Local elections are due in May, while Catalonia has its own regional vote in September; general elections are most likely in December.
Last Thursday, Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias was a guest of honour at one of Syriza’s meetings. “Change in Greece is called Syriza, change in Spain is called Podemos,” he said. “Hope is coming. Onwards to victory with Syriza-Podemos.”
Since its creation last year, Podemos has rocketed to a leading position in polls, netting 28 per cent of the vote in a recent survey for left-leaning El País newspaper; the ruling PP party slumped to 19 per cent. Unemployment in Spain, despite a recovering economy, remains at 23.7 per cent, and 34 per cent in Andalusia.
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Tsipras has campaigned on a series of economic policies that could see Greece tear up the terms of its deal with creditors that has kept the country afloat since 2010.
"In Greece, democracy will return," the 40-year-old told a throng of reporters as he voted in Athens today. "The message is that our common future in Europe is not the future of austerity."
The combination of Syriza's 149 MPs and the Independent Greeks' group of 13 will give the Government a slim majority of 162 seats out of 300.
In a statement to reporters as he emerged from Syriza's headquarters this morning, Independent Greeks leader Panos Kammenos said: “I want to say, simply, that from this moment, there is a government. The Independent Greeks will give a vote of confidence to the Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
“The aim for all Greeks is to embark on a new day, with full sovereignty.”
Syriza, swept to a historic victory yesterday with its radical pledge for a “new deal” for the country’s finances, vowing to completely re-write its massive bailout deal with the Eurozone.
It narrowly missed out on a majority in the Greek parliament but beat current Prime Minister Antonis Samaras's conservative coalition into second place and the neo-fascist Golden Dawn into third.
After Greece’s elections, a new European front between traditional parties and their anti-austerity challengers is set to open on Monday when the Andalusian Socialist premier Susana Diaz is all but certain to make a call for snap regional elections for 22 March.
It would act as a curtain-raiser for a year of elections across Spain, with Podemos, a new anti-austerity party, expected to be a serious contender, much like Syriza in Greece. Local elections are due in May, while Catalonia has its own regional vote in September; general elections are most likely in December.
Last Thursday, Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias was a guest of honour at one of Syriza’s meetings. “Change in Greece is called Syriza, change in Spain is called Podemos,” he said. “Hope is coming. Onwards to victory with Syriza-Podemos.”
Since its creation last year, Podemos has rocketed to a leading position in polls, netting 28 per cent of the vote in a recent survey for left-leaning El País newspaper; the ruling PP party slumped to 19 per cent. Unemployment in Spain, despite a recovering economy, remains at 23.7 per cent, and 34 per cent in Andalusia.
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