Greek polls: far-left Syriza extend their lead in final days of campaign

[-:Undertaker:-]

Greek polls: far-left Syriza extend their lead in final days of campaigning before January 25th vote

Future Greek PM? radical Alexis Tspiras is heading for victory

Athens: Greece's Syriza party is set for a comfortable victory in Sunday's general election, according to opinion polls that show the radical leftists consolidating gains in the final days of campaigning. With just four days left until the vote, all polls show Syriza firmly ahead.

The latest poll had Syriza's lead over the ruling conservatives widening to five percentage points, putting it close to the threshold for an outright victory. Greece's election is being closely watched by financial markets as a victory by the anti-bailout party could trigger a standoff with European Union and IMF lenders and push the country close to bankruptcy or an exit from the euro zone.

In a Financial Times opinion piece, Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras sought to dismiss those fears and appealed for time to change Greece. "We have a duty to negotiate openly, honestly and as equals with our European partners," he wrote. "There is no sense in each side brandishing its weapons. We have not been in government; we are a new force that owes no allegiance to the past. We will make the reforms that Greece actually needs."

The Alco poll for the weekly To Pontiki indicated Syriza would get 33.8 percent of the vote, close to the 36-40 percent generally required for a party to secure a parliamentary majority. About 9 percent of voters had yet to decide. Another survey, by Rass for iefimerida.gr, had Syriza, which has been pledged to renegotiate Greece's debt, widening its opinion poll lead to 4.2 percentage points from 3.8 in a previous survey.

Both polls had the centrist party To Potami (River) in third place, putting it on track to become kingmaker if voters deliver a hung parliament. The far-right Golden Dawn followed in the ALCO survey, while the communist KKE was fourth in the Rass survey. Both polls showed Prime Minister Antonis Samaras' coalition partner, the centre-left PASOK party, trailing with roughly 4 percent of the vote.

Under Greek electoral law, parties must secure 3 percent of the vote to enter the 300-seat parliament. The biggest party automatically gets a 50-seat bonus, and the level required to win outright depends on the share of the vote taken by parties that fail to cross the threshold.

Interesting that they're approaching the percentage needed for an absolute majority. I'm praying for fireworks.

Thoughts?

[-:Undertaker:-]

According to the last polls, Syriza have widened their lead over New Democracy.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/0...0KV21020150122

GPO Poll has New Democracy on 29.6% and Syriza on 37%. Only question now is how big their win will be tommorrow and whether they'll get an absolute majority. Charles Moore writing in the Daily Telegraph had an excellent article in which he said, and I agree with, that even being on the polar opposite side of Syriza we'd probably vote for Syriza if we were Greeks in order to bring about an end to the ridiculous Eurozone and hopefully the EU.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...e-Marxist.html

So each step towards completion of the euro-dream makes its ultimate break-up both more likely and more explosive.

[-:Undertaker:-]

Greek exit polls:

SYRIZA 35.5-39%
New Democracy 23-27
Golden Dawn 6.4-8;
To Potami 6.4-8
KKE 4.7-5.7
PASOK 4.2-5.2
Ind. Greeks 3.5-4.5

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30975437

Greece election: Exit polls signal big Syriza win

Exit polls suggest a historic victory for the anti-austerity Syriza party in Greece's general election.

The polls indicate that Syriza took between 36% and 38% of the total vote, with the ruling New Democracy party a distant second with 26%-28%.

It is unclear whether Syriza has enough votes to govern the country alone.

Syriza's Alexis Tsipras has pledged to renegotiate Greece's debt arrangement with international creditors.

He has also vowed to reverse many of the austerity measures adopted by Greece since a series of bailouts began in 2010.

The result is being closely watched outside Greece, where it is believed a Syriza victory could encourage radical leftist parties across Europe.

Communists in first with Nazis in third. Well done EU, well done.