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Greece: Another election with hopes for better future

Greeks hope for change after casting their ballots for the third time in 9 months

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A member of the electoral committee is waiting for people to come and vote, in a polling station of Athens. In these elections, the abstention from voting reached 43 percent, the biggest ever recorded. [Alexandros Michailidis/SOOC]
By Ilena Kritikou
Published On 21 Sep 201521 Sep 2015
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Athens, Greece – The Greek general election’s result is a tremendous personal achievement of Alexis Tsipras. His supporters celebrated the victory outside Syriza’s headquarters and the party’s election kiosk at Klathmonos square in central Athens.

“We believe in him. He is the only one telling the truth. He is the only one fighting for us” a middle aged woman said.

Despite every prediction that the race was too close to call, the radical left party Syriza defeated the conservative New Democracy party by a margin of 7,5 percentage points.

The result confirmed Tsipras’ domination at the Greek political stage. “I don’t understand what they’re thinking of. He has promised to rip the memorandum, but he has just signed a new one. He is a liar and he will destroy us” said a 50 years old shopkeeper, who voted for Tsipras’ rival, Vaggelis Meimarakis.

During 20 days electoral campaign, Tsipras promised to fight corruption and improve the new austerity programme, which he accepted after almost 7 months of negotiations with the country’s creditors.

“He will implement a memorandum but he is not like the others. New Democracy and Pasok brought us to this situation and now they claim to have changed. They haven’t changed a bit” a pensioner said in Tsipras’ defence.

Although traditionally elections are a rather tense period in Greece, this one was really calm. After all, Greeks have voted three times in 9 months: there were general election in January and a referendum on the programme in July, just two months before the new general election.

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“What’s the point of this election?” a 25year old woman asked, and she was not the only one. 43% of the voters abstained, which is a record for Greece.

Tsipras asked voters for a stable government, and now with the radicals of Syriza out of the party as well as the parliament, maybe he has it.

On Tuesday he is to form a government with his former ally, the small right wing party Independent Greeks. Many progressive voters find this alliance unnatural. Much to their dismay, Tsipras appeared together with the party’s leader Panos Kammenos at Syriza’s election kiosk to conceal the alliance and celebrate the victory in the elections.

Tsipras declared that his victory belongs to the people and those who dream of a better future. His supporters cheered, danced and sang at Klathmonos square. Some Italians too.

They waved flags reading L’ Altra Europa con Tsipras (The Other Europe with Tsipras), to celebrate the victory of a radical left leader who has promised to try to change Europe. “No to austerity, yes to democracy” was their slogan.

Greeks do not seem to hope for ripping the memorandum anymore. They hope for change; they hope for a better future. 

SOOC Greece/ DO NOT USE/ RESTRICTED
Winner of the elections Alexis Tsipras casts his vote at a polling station in Athens. [Alexandros Michailidis/SOOC]
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A greek orthodox priest is exiting a voting cabin, after casting his ballot in a polling station in Thessaloniki. [Konstantinos Tsakalidis/SOOC]
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A child casting a vote on behalf of his grandfather. [Nick Paleologos/SOOC]
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Panagiotis Lafazanis, an ex SYRIZA member than left the party to form a new one together with a number of SYRIZA mebers, was the biggest looser of the elections since his party, Popular Unity, did not manage to reach 3 percent and make it to the parliament. [Nikos Libertas/SOOC]
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SYRIZA supporters celebrate the party's victory on the elections. [Alexandros Michailidis/SOOC]
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Roberto, a member of the Italian party L'Altra Europa con Tsipras (The Other Europe with Tsipras), came all the way from Italy to have the opportunity to celebrate together with SYRIZA supporters. [Menelaos Myrillas/SOOC]
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Supporters of Greece's New Democracy party react at the announcement of the exit poll results that gave opposite SYRIZA party a clear win, at the main New Democracy campaign center, in central Athens. [Nick Paleologos/SOOC]
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Fotis Vardis is a cameraman that have covered all elections of the last 20 years. He believes that these elections were the most peaceful ones he has ever recorded. [Menelaos Myrillas/SOOC]
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The press conference room at Zappeion hall in Athens, while awaiting for politicians to come and make statements to the press. recorded. [Menelaos Myrillas/SOOC]
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Despite every prediction that the race was too close to call, the radical left party SYRIZA defeated the conservative New Democracy party by a margin of 7,5 percentage points. [Menelaos Myrillas/SOOC]
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Vasilis Leventis, politician from Union of Centrists party, was the biggest surprise of the elections as he made it to the parliament after 30 years of falling to win a seat. [Menelaos Myrillas/SOOC]
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Leader of the Syriza party Alexis Tsipras and his probable future coalition government ally, Panos Kammenos of the Right Wing independent Greeks party, celebrate together the clear victory of SYRIZA as well as the Independent Greeks re-entering the parliament. The two parties have the necessary MP's to form a coalition government, as they have done in the past. [Nick Paleologos/SOOC]
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Tsipras declared that his victory belongs to the people and those who dream of a better future. [Nick Paleologos/SOOC]


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