Polls close in Greece
January 25, 2015
Around 9.8 million Greeks went to the polls in the snap election, which got underway at 7 a.m local time (0500 UCT) on Sunday.
Alexis Tsipras (pictured above), the 40-year-old leader of the Syriza party, was surrounded by a throng of cameras as he cast his vote in Athens.
"Our common future in Europe is not the future of austerity, it is the future of democracy, solidarity and cooperation," he said.
"Today, the Greek people are called to decisively make the remaining step toward the return of hope, the end of fear, the return of democracy and dignity in our country."
Syriza has pledged to renegotiate the terms of Greece's 240 billion euro ($270 billion) bailout deal with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.
The party's talk of rolling back austerity measures and canceling a large part of Greece's debt has proven popular with Greeks worn out by economic hardship and high unemployment.
Ahead in the polls
For months Syriza has been leading in the polls, well ahead of the governing conservative New Democracy Party, led by Prime Minister Antonis Samaras. Several polls published on Friday gave Syriza a lead of anywhere from 2.8 percent to 6 percent over New Democracy.
However, the surveys also indicated that around 10 percent of Greek voters remained undecided, suggesting Syriza might struggle to win the 151 seats in the 300-member parliament required to form a government on its own.
Faith in economic recovery
Samaras, for his part, has promised to reduce taxes if elected, and has asked Greeks to put their faith in an improving economy, which grew in 2014 for the first time in six years. He warned Greeks they would be taking a huge risk by voting for Syriza, just when the fiscal measures he introduced could be about to pay off.
"Today we decide if are going forward with strength, with security, with assuredness or if we are going towards the unknown," Samaras said as he cast his vote in his home town of Pylos in the Peloponnese. "These elections are crucial for our future and for the future of our children."
Rolling back austerity measures
The possibility of a Syriza-led government reversing austerity measures has sparked fears that Greece could default on its debt and quit the eurozone - a scenario dubbed "Grexit" - although Syriza has said it's not their aim to leave the 19-country European currency bloc.
On Friday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, seen by many Greeks as the driving force behind the tough terms of the bailout, expressed a similar sentiment.
"At the heart of our principles lies solidarity. I want Greece, despite the difficulties, to remain part of our story," Merkel said.
In the event that no party wins the 151 seats needed to have an absolute majority, the top party must find partners to form a coalition government. If it fails to do so after three days, the party that came in second will have the same opportunity and then, if need be, the third-placed party.
Polls across Greece will close at 7 p.m. and the results from exit polls will follow shortly afterwards.
nm/sms (Reuters, dpa, AFP, AP)