Greece elects Alexis Tsipras at PM from ‘radical left group’ of communists, Maoists
Alexis Tsipras, who led his left-wing Syriza party to a momentous win in Greece’s parliamentary election, was sworn in today amid fears about what his win means for the country’s bailout agreements with the European Union.
The new prime minister visited the Kaisariani memorial minutes after being sworn in with red roses in hand, paying homage to the World War II victims in his first act in office.
“It represents national resistance to German occupation,” says Panos Skourletis, spokesman of Syriza, an alliance of far-left groups ranging from Maoists to greens. “But also the desire of Greeks for freedom, for liberty from German occupation.”
If explanation were needed, he adds: “It was purely symbolic.”
Tsipras, 40, becomes Greece’s youngest post-war leader, is an articulate communicator with an army of (mostly) US-trained advisers. For the nation battered by German-inspired austerity and humiliated by international focus, standing up to Europe’s “paymaster” by whatever means plays well with the gallery, writes the Guardian.
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As the TV cameras rolled, Greek commentators couldn’t help themselves: “It’s another ‘up yours’ to the Germans,” one said.
Described as an anti-establishment party, the Syriza is an union of Maoists, Trotskyists and eurocommunists.
“Greek voters were warned from many corners of the EU that putting the Syriza party in power would not be welcome, as leader Alexis Tsipras says he’ll renegotiate terms of the bailouts that kept Athens from bankruptcy — twice,” Teri Schultz in Brussels tells Newscast says (via NPR). “EU leaders say a Syriza government will be responsible for paying Greece’s debts, but everyone is nervous what will happen if the required reforms really are called off in Athens.”
“Syriza’s win means that for the first time since the fall of Greece’s military junta in 1974, neither the outgoing conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras’ New Democracy Party nor the center-left PASOK will be in charge of Greece,” writes NPR.
“Syriza and its creditors are stuck in a Gordian Knot, and both sides will need to cave on something. Neither Greece nor its creditors want Greece to default or exit the eurozone, so a compromise will probably be found,” Megan Greene, chief economist at Manulife Asset Management, told the AP.
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