Greece election: pro-bailout right to attempt coalition

The leader of Greece's pro-bailout New Democracy party, set to win most seats in a general election, says he wants to form a government as soon as possible.

Antonis Samaras (in photo - right - with former PASOK leader George Papandreou) said Greeks had voted to stay in the euro, and called for a "national salvation government".

The leader of the anti-bailout Syriza party, Alexis Tsipras, which came a close second, agreed Mr Samaras should be first to try to to form a coalition.

Greece's future in the euro could depend on the coalition talks.

With 60% of votes counted, interior ministry projections put New Democracy on 30.1% of the vote (130 seats), Syriza on 26.5% (70) and the socialist Pasok on 12.6% (33).

New Democracy leader Mr Samaras said: "The Greek people voted today to stay on the European course and remain in the eurozone.

"There will be no more adventures. Greece's place in Europe will not be put in doubt."

"The sacrifices of the Greek people will bring the country back to prosperity," he promised.

He also said Greece would "honour its obligations".

The BBC's Mark Lowen in Athens says that suggests Mr Samaras wants to press ahead with spending cuts demanded by the country's international creditors.

European leaders have warned that if a new Greek government rejected the bailout, the country could be forced to abandon the single currency.

While the radical-left Syriza and other smaller parties have opposed the bailout, New Democracy and Pasok said they would keep it in a renegotiated form.

Germany's Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said on Sunday that Greece must stick to its agreements with international creditors - but he suggested Athens might be given more time to comply with them.

"There cannot be substantial changes to the agreements, but I can well imagine talking again about timelines," he said.

If the projections from the interior ministry are proved correct, New Democracy should be able to build a majority coalition with the socialist Pasok, benefiting from a rule which gives the leading party 50 extra seats in the 300-seat chamber.

But the BBC's Matthew Price, in Athens, says the government will be relatively weak and will still seek to renegotiate the terms of the bailout.

The election was the second in six weeks, called after a 6 May vote proved inconclusive.

On that occasion, each of the main parties tried but failed to form a coalition government.

Greece's right-wing New Democracy party has a narrow lead over its left-wing rivals after parliamentary elections, exit polls suggest.

New Democracy, which broadly supports a European bailout deal, was one to two percentage points ahead of Syriza, which opposes the measure.

The outcome could decide Greece's future inside the euro.

If the exit poll is correct, New Democracy should be able to build a majority coalition.

The election was the second in six weeks, called after a 6 May vote proved inconclusive.

First exit polls put Greece's right-wing New Democracy and left-wing Syriza parties almost neck-and-neck after parliamentary elections.

New Democracy, which broadly supports a European bailout deal, looked to be almost tied with Syriza, which opposes the measure.

The outcome could decide Greece's future inside the euro.

The election was the second in six weeks, called after a 6 May vote proved inconclusive.

The two main parties are thought to have polled between 27 and 30%, the exit poll showed.

But though the result could be almost a dead heat, the party that does come out on top will receive an extra 50 seats.

The BBC'c Chris Morris says that with the parties so close, the cliche that "every vote counts" has never been more true.

The centre-left Pasok, a potential partner for New Democracy in a pro-bailout government, polled 10-12%, with several smaller anti-bailout parties on 5-6%.

Sunday's vote is being watched around the world, amid fears that a Greek exit from the euro could spread contagion to other eurozone members and send turmoil throughout the global economy.

Tough austerity measures were attached to the two international bailouts awarded to Greece, an initial package worth 110bn euros (£89bn; $138bn) in 2010, then a follow-up last year worth 130bn euros.

Many Greeks are unhappy with the conditions attached to deals which have been keeping the country from bankruptcy.

Source: BBC News