Greece is Hoping to have an effective government after the last set of elections has hopefully ended the political stalemate.
Long lines form as people desperately seeking food handouts from Crete’s farmers wait their turn.
Greek citizens desperate for food queued around the block for free food handouts yesterday as the country’s politicians managed to end a crippling stalemate to form a coalition government. Young children waited in line along side elderly in Athens to collect the parcels of fruit and vegetables donated by farmers from Crete to help ease the devastating austerity faced by many Greeks. As hungry people collected food, a few miles away a new conservative-led alliance was formed, vowing to renegotiate the country’s strict European bailout in a bid to breath economic life back into the debt-stricken country.
Antonis Samaras sworn in as prime minister
Conservative Antonis Samaras was sworn in as prime minister and head of a three-party coalition that will uphold the country’s international bailout commitments. This move to end a protracted political crisis that had cast grave doubt over the country’s future in Europe’s joint currency that has threatened to plunge Europe deeper into a financial crisis may have global repercussions.
Samaras’ New Democracy party will join forces with the socialist PASOK party, which came in third place, and the smaller Democratic Left led by Fotis Kouvelis.
New coalition vows to renegotiate crippling bailout agreement to ease burden on debt-crippled country
The new Democracy and PASOK (Panhellenic Socialist Movement) are also looking for an extension of at least two years in the deadlines for implementing fresh cutbacks worth a total 14.5billion euro.
Greek stocks rose marginally in response to the coalition deal
Greek stocks rose marginally in response to the news, with Athens shares closing up 0.5 percent, limiting earlier gains.
Greece had been effectively ungoverned after two elections within a six week time span which resulted in political stalemate
In Sunday’s vote – and the previous, inconclusive May 6 election – angry voters strongly favored parties promising to end the hardship by tearing up Greece’s pledges for continued austerity and reforms.
However, the anti-austerity standard bearer – the radical left Syriza party – finished a narrow second in Sunday’s election that gave New Democracy 129 of Parliament’s 300 seats.
