Syriza is poised to form a new government after winning Sunday’s snap election in Greece.
The leftist party, lead by Alexis Tsipras, won 35.5 per cent of the vote. The centre-right opposition, New Democracy, came in at 28.1 per cent, giving Syriza 145 of the 300 parliamentary seats.
In his victory speech, Tsipras said:
“Today in Europe, Greece and the Greek people are synonymous with resistance and dignity. This struggle will be continued together.” He then warned of “difficulties ahead … Recovery from the crisis can’t come magically, but it can come through tough work.”
Syriza will form a coalition with the small nationalist party Independent Greeks, resulting in a 151-seat majority. The first task for the new government will be to put together a budget.