Athen, July 7 (IANS) Voters across Greece voted on Sunday in the first parliamentary elections since the 2008 global financial crisis that triggered financial bailouts leading the Greek economy to shrink by 28 per cent and increasing unemployment.

Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. and will close at 7 p.m. About 9.9 million citizens of 17 years and above are eligible to vote, reports Xinhua news agency.

Exit polls are expected to be released shortly afterwards, as the first official estimates will arrive at around 9 p.m., and the final results on Monday, according to the Interior Ministry.

A total of 20 parties are running the campaign, which demands a 3 per cent threshold to enter the 300-member parliament, according to the Greek electoral law.

Most recent opinion surveys indicated that Greece’s main opposition conservative New Democracy (ND) party would win with a margin of 8-15 percentage points over the radical left SYRIZA party led by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and have an outright majority in the parliament.

Tsipras, who came to power in 2015, has promised more investment and recently boosted pensions. His own investment policies would also have to be renegotiated with creditors as the country remains under eurozone supervision.

Polls also showed that the centre-left Movement of Change would rank third, likely followed by the Communist Party of Greece.

The economy is once again the main issue for consideration when voters cast their ballots, according to polls. </s> ATHENS (Reuters) - Greeks began voting on Sunday in the first general election since Greece emerged from international bailouts, a runoff polls predict will bring conservatives to power and end four years of leftist rule blamed for saddling the country with more debt.

The snap election is largely a showdown of two contenders. Incumbent Alexis Tsipras of the Syriza party is on one side - a 44-year-old radical leftist who stormed to power in 2015 vowing to tear up the austerity rule book only to relent weeks later.

On the other side is Kyriakos Mitsotakis, 51, of New Democracy, the scion of a political dynasty who hopes to follow in the footsteps of his father as prime minister.

Opinion polls put New Democracy’s lead at up to 10 percentage points, potentially giving it an absolute majority in Greece’s 300-seat parliament. Voting ends at 7.00 pm (1600 GMT), with the first official projections expected about two hours after voting ends.

Greece endured a debilitating financial crisis from 2010 that required a cash lifeline from its European Union partners three times.

The economy is the public’s main concern, said Thomas Gerakis of pollsters MARC.

One voter, a 45-year-old private sector worker who gave his name as Makis, said: “I think in the long run (New Democracy) will be better in terms of management and growth.”

Others said they forgave Tsipras for any errors.

“I am completely satisfied, whatever the mistakes, whatever the omissions. He got us out of the bailouts,” said Niki Loufa, 61, a retired bank worker.

Tsipras has also been roundly criticized for mismanagement of crises and for brokering a deeply unpopular deal to end a dispute over the name of neighboring North Macedonia.

One hundred people were killed in a devastating fire that swept through a seaside village east of Athens last year. While Mitsotakis was quick to the scene to console survivors, Tsipras was out of the public eye for several days.

Greece wrapped up its last economic adjustment program in 2018 but remains under surveillance from lenders to ensure no future fiscal slippage. While economic growth has returned, Greek unemployment of 18 percent is the euro zone’s highest.

New Democracy has promised to invest in creating well-paid jobs with decent benefits. The outgoing government meanwhile hopes voters will reward it for upping the minimum wage by 11 percent and reinstating collective bargaining.

Mitsotakis hopes that his reforms will convince lenders to show more flexibility in due course.

“The first thing that is necessary for economic growth to be boosted is a stable government, a strong majority in the next parliament,” Mitsotakis told Reuters.

Tsipras says that a vote cast for Mitsotakis would go to the political establishment, which forced Greece to the edge of the precipice in the first place.

“Each and every one of you must now consider if, after so many sacrifices, we should return to the days of despair,” he told voters, wrapping up the pre-election campaign on Friday. </s> Athens, May 27 (IANS) Greek main opposition conservative New Democracy (ND) party leads European Parliament elections, garnering 32.7 per cent of the vote against 24 per cent for the ruling Radical Left SYRIZA party, according to estimates based on the first official results announced on national broadcaster ERT.

Greeks went to the polls on Sunday to choose their 21 representatives in the next European parliament for the next five years, as well as in regional authorities, municipalities and communities throughout Greece, Xinhua reported on Sunday.

With about 10 per cent of the vote counted nationwide, according to the early projections issued by the Interior Ministry, six parties will most probably send representatives to the European parliament, clearing the three percent threshold needed under Greece’s electoral law.

The centrist Movement for Change (KINAL) wins 7.8 per cent of the vote, the Greek Communist Party (KKE) ranks fourth with 5.6 per cent and the ultra-Right Chryssi Avghi (Golden Dawn) garners 4.8 per cent of the vote.

A new right-wing party, the Greek Solution, wins 4.2 per cent of the vote.

DIEM25, a party founded by former Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, wins 2.9 per cent of the vote, according to the projections.

Local media commentators noted in first reactions that the outcome may lead to national elections soon, earlier than October this year, when the government’s term in office ends.

So far Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and ND leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis have not commented on the results.

Several ND deputies participating in talks shows in many TV channels on Sunday evening said that Greece is undergoing a major political change and that after the 2014 European elections when SYRIZA had won ND by 26.6-22.7 per cent of the vote, Tsipras had asked for snap polls.

A party statement reminded that during this pre-election campaign the Prime Minister had asked for a vote of confidence in his government’s policies.

On the other hand, many cabinet ministers, including government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos, based on the earlier exit polls, said that it seems that SYRIZA has not suffered a strategic defeat that would justify “political developments”.

The final official results are expected on Monday. </s> Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Why young people have suffered the most from Greece’s economic collapse

Greeks are going to the polls to elect a new parliament, with the centre-right opposition mounting a strong challenge to the leftist government.

The New Democracy party of Kyriakos Mitsotakis is hoping to end more than four years of rule by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras's Syriza party.

Mr Tsipras called snap elections soon after suffering an electoral defeat in May's European elections.

Polling stations opened at 07:00 local time (04:00 GMT).

Image copyright AFP Image caption Leader-in-waiting? Kyriakos Mitsotakis cast his vote in Athens

It is Greece's sixth election since the global financial crisis in 2008.

The crisis triggered a succession of financial bailouts, with the Greek economy shrinking by 28% between 2008 and 2016, and increasing unemployment has thrown many Greeks into poverty.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Greek bailout: Five numbers that reshaped the country

Greece exited the bailout programme in August of last year and growth has returned.

But with temperatures hitting 35C in much of the country, many politicians are concerned on the impact the weather may have on turnout, as voters stay cool at home - or head to the beach.

What are the rival parties offering?

Mr Mitsotakis is promising lower taxes, greater privatisation of public services and plans to renegotiate a deal with Greece's creditors that would allow more money to be reinvested in the country.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption New Democracy party leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis (left) and Greek PM Alexis Tsipras

Mr Tsipras, who came to power in 2015, has promised more investment and recently boosted pensions. His own investment policies would also have to be renegotiated with creditors as the country remains under eurozone supervision.

Each of the country's numerous parties needs to gain at least 3% of the vote to get into the parliament and as many as seven of them could win seats.

The winning party gets a 50-seat bonus and needs 151 seats in the 300-seat parliament to have a majority.

At the European elections, New Democracy won 33.11% of the vote against 23.78% for Syriza.

The highest percentage of 18-to-24 year olds (30.5%) at that election backed New Democracy. </s> Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras called for an early national election following the defeat of his party in the European Parliament polls.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras called for an early national election following the defeat of his party in the European Parliament polls.

Mr Tsipras said from the Syriza party offices that “the result does not rise to our expectations … I will not ignore it or quit”.

Mr Tsipras credited his government for pulling the country out of the austerity imposed by Greece’s creditors and said that voting for Sunday’s winner, the conservative New Democracy, would be turning back to “the darkness of austerity, the darkness off crisis, the oligarchs, the International Monetary Fund”.

The government’s term expires in October and before Sunday night’s announcement, government officials insisted that elections would be held at the end of the term.

But a long and contentious meeting of government ministers and party officials ended with the announcement of the early election.

Mr Tsipras said he will visit the Greek president to request the early dissolution of parliament after the second round of local and regional elections on June 2.

This puts the election date at June 30 at the earliest.

In the run-up to the election, Mr Tsipras brought to Parliament a series of measures that amounted to handouts and defied the conservatives to vote against them.

They did not, but accused Mr Tsipras of a desperate gambit for votes.

With just over a third of voting precincts reporting, New Democracy is leading with 33.62% to Syriza’s 23.86%.

The socialists of the Movement for Change follow with 7.16%, ahead of the Communist Party (5.75, the far-right Golden Dawn (4.86%), the hard-line nationalist Greek Solution (4.04%) and Diem25, the pan-European movement of Syriza’s first finance minister Yanis Varoufakis (3.15%).

If the results hold, New Democracy will win seven European Parliament seats; Syriza will get six; the socialists, the communists and Golden Dawn two each; and Greek Solution and Diem25 one each.

New Democracy also stands to make important gains in the second round of the local and regional elections next Sunday. </s> The centre-right New Democracy (ND) Party of ex-banker Kyriakos Mitsotakis is poised to win the Greek snap parliamentary elections the Greek snap parliamentary election with between 38 to 42% of votes, which translates to 155-167 seats in the 300-seat Greek parliament, a Greek TV channel ERT suggest citin exit polls.

The ruling leftist alliance Syriza of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is set to win 26.5-30.5 percent of the vote and 77-82 seats.

​The socialist Kinal party will get 6-8 percent of the vote and 19-22 seats. The Communists are fourth with 5-7 percent of the vote and 16-19 seats.

DiEM25 of ex-Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis is set to gain 3-5 percent of the vote an 8-14 seats. Traditionalist Greek Solution is on 2.8-4.8 percent with up to 13 seats, while far-right New Dawn is on 2.5-4.5 percent with the same amount of seats.

Greeks went to the polls on Sunday after the ruling party called a snap general election after it lost to the centre-right ND Party in May’s European Parliament elections and the opposition urged Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to resign. </s> The Greek parliament is expected to vote on the Prespa deal, which has sown discord in the legislative body, on Friday.

A total of 27 percent of the respondents have a positive attitude toward the deal, while 11 percent have found it difficult to respond, the poll indicated.

READ MORE: Greek Parliament Shifts Vote on Macedonia Name Change to Friday — Reports

As for the snap elections, which could be triggered by the opposition, 30 percent of the Greeks said that the vote was possible, while almost 40 percent think that the election is unlikely and 19 percent said that such a possibility is "moderate," according to the poll's results.

Disagreements over the Prespa deal already prompted then-Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos to withdraw his right-wing Independent Greeks (ANEL) party from the ruling coalition earlier in the month. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, in turn, called a vote of confidence in his government, which he has won. Greek New Democracy opposition party then has suggested that the country should hold early parliamentary elections.

READ MORE: Majority of Greeks Against Macedonia Name Change Deal — Scholar

Greece and Macedonia, officially known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), have been entangled in a naming dispute for years, with Athens opposing the use of "Macedonia," which is also the name of a region in Greece. The agreement on the new name for Macedonia – Republic of Northern Macedonia – was signed by Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov and his Greek counterpart Nikos Kotzias on June 17.

The deal paved the way for Macedonia to join the European Union and NATO, which had been earlier blocked by Greece over the naming issue. The Prespa agreement is widely criticized by various political forces in Greece, who staged massive protests in Athens last Sunday. </s> Polling stations opened at 7am local time for the European Parliament elections. Voting will continue until 6pm with a one-hour break from 12pm until 1pm. The final results will be given by the Chief Returning Officer at midnight.

A total of 72 candidates from Cyprus are competing for six seats in the European Parliament. Of the 72 candidates, 69 are backed by political parties or coalitions, and three are independent. Candidates also include nine Turkish Cypriots who are citizens of the Republic of Cyprus.

A total of 641,181 people are eligible to vote.

Fifty polling stations have been set up for the 80,862 Turkish Cypriots eligible to vote, who live in then north of the island.

For Cypriots living abroad, a total of 21 polling stations will operate for 6,135 voters. There will be 12 in Greece, seven in England, one in Brussels, and one in Scotland.

Meanwhile, a total of 10,559 EU citizens are registered to vote in Cyprus.

Special arrangements have been made for disabled persons. </s> Greece: A look at the main candidates in Sunday's election

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece holds a general election Sunday, called three months early by left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras after he suffered a stinging defeat in European Parliament elections in May to conservative rivals who appear to be strengthening their position according to recent opinion polls.

The ballot comes as the country struggles to emerge from a decade of deep financial crisis that slashed size of Greece's economy by a quarter and sent unemployment and poverty rates soaring. The parliamentary election is the first since Greece ended its third consecutive international bailout program.

Here is a look at the main parties and candidates running:

The Athens-born civil engineer is a veteran of Greek politics at age 44, leading the once-marginal Coalition of the Radical Left, Syriza, to a landmark election victory in 2015.

Politically active since his teenage years, Tsipras rose to power as Greece's economy was plunged into financial crisis and voters turned their backs on traditionally dominant parties. Tsipras was first elected on a promise to scrap the draconian terms imposed for bailouts by European Union institutions and the International Monetary Fund,

But he was forced to accept a third rescue deal to keep Greece in the euro. He has since dropped a confrontational stance toward Germany and other large creditor nations and has also built closer military ties with the United States.

Praised by Western allies, his government also hammered out a historic compromise with Balkan neighbor North Macedonia, in a name-change deal that remains broadly unpopular among Greeks.

Tsipras has promised to rebuild public services after years of hardship and funding cuts and insists his party can overturn a huge gap in opinion polls.

Despite facing skepticism within his own party, the 51-year-old Mitsotakis has built a huge lead in opinion polls spanning back three years and is the strong favorite to win Sunday.

A tireless campaigner, Mitsotakis is the Harvard-educated son of the late prime minister Constantine Mitsotakis whose combative style as conservative leader in the late 1980s and early 1990s still remains controversial.

The younger Mitsotakis, leader of Greece's conservative establishment party since January 2016, has struggled to shed an image of family privilege. He focused his campaign on blue collar voters and pledged to make the country more-business friendly, cut taxes, and modernize Greece's antiquated bureaucracy.

Mitsotakis served in a previous conservative government as minister of administrative reform. Unlike many other conservative leaders in the EU, he remains a staunch supporter of deeper European integration. He disputes claims by the Tsipras government that he is tied to the rightist wing of his party and favors privatizing welfare services.

Currently polling in third place, the 54-year-old Gennimata is leader of the Movement for Change, a rebranded Pan-Hellenic Socialist Movement, or Pasok, the party that dominated the government for three decades but was devastated by the financial crisis a decade ago and has lost the bulk of its support to Prime Minister Tsipras' Syriza party.

An effort two years ago by Gennimata to expand the party, joining forces with other centrist groups, was tarnished by multiple policy and administrative disputes within the revamped party. Gennimata has overtaken the extreme right Golden Dawn Party for third place in opinion polls before Sunday's election.

The former director of a Communist newspaper, Dimitris Koutsoumbas, 63, is the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece, KKE, a party that maintained unwavering support for the Soviet Union's leadership over decades while other Communist parties in Europe distanced themselves from Moscow.

Koutsoumbas has defended party political traditions and orthodoxy, focusing attacks on its one-time ally Syriza, accusing it of selling out workers' rights. The KKE's leadership failed to win over any significant boost in public support for the party during the financial crisis and has seen its share of the vote dip over the last 20 years.

Three other parties are vying for seats in parliament — set by a threshold of 3% of the vote nationwide.

Golden Dawn is an extreme right party founded by neo-Nazi supporters 34 years ago, and leaders are currently on charges related to incitement to violence. The party has suffered a sharp drop in support before Sunday's vote.

Former Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis founded a pan-European anti-austerity party in 2016 and narrowly missed the threshold in Greece in European Parliament elections in May.

And far-right TV pundit Kyriakos Velopoulos and his party Greek Solution has seen a surge in support in recent months.
Citizens of Greece go to the polls to vote for the next members of the Hellenic Parliament.