Griechenland-Wahl: Europas zweite Chance
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Griechenland hat gewählt, aber Europa ist damit noch lange nicht gerettet. Der Kontinent steht in den nächsten Wochen vor einer Richtungsentscheidung: Entweder die EU wächst jetzt endlich zusammen, oder das Projekt ist am Ende. Die Totengräber warten schon.

Wer braucht eigentlich Europa, den Euro, diesen andauernden Ärger mit den Griechen? Was soll das alles noch? Ein Land, elf Millionen Einwohner klein, führt den Rest des Staatenbunds monatelang vor. Jede Wahl in Hellas wird zur Zitterpartie für ganz Europa. Viele Griechen benehmen sich wie eine Gruppe Halbstarker, die in einem Club Party gemacht haben und jetzt empört sind, dass sie dafür eine Rechnung bezahlen sollen. Ja, geht's noch?

Wenn es gut läuft, wird Griechenland nach dem Wahlsieg von Antonis Samaras nun endlich eine Regierung bekommen. Aber Griechenland wird ein Problemfall bleiben, die politischen Verhältnisse sind instabil, Samaras ist ein politischer Wendehals, wenig zuverlässig. Es muss aber weiter gelten: Die neue Regierung in Athen darf mehr europäisches Geld nur erhalten, wenn die zugesagte Erneuerung des Landes und die Sparbeschlüsse umgesetzt werden. Anders wird Griechenland niemals aus dem Tief herauskommen. Ein Wanken darf sich Europa an dieser Stelle nicht erlauben, Ausnahmeregelungen für große und kleine Schuldensünder gab es in der Vergangenheit schon zu viele, sie haben uns diesen Euro-Ärger erst eingebrockt.

Aber es gilt auch: Die neue griechische Regierung braucht Unterstützung aus Europa. Griechenland braucht Hilfe, um seine Wirtschaft anzukurbeln, das Land braucht ein echtes Konjunkturprogramm. Und: Wenn der Zeitplan für die Umsetzung der Reformen verändert werden kann, dann soll er verändert werden. Der neue Regierungschef kann das als Erfolg verkaufen und wenigstens zum Teil sein Gesicht wahren. Sei's drum. Vielleicht hilft das, die Verhältnisse in Athen wieder zu stabilisieren. » | Ein Kommentar von Roland Nelles | Montag, 18. Juni 2012

Greece Poll: Pro-bailout Party's Narrow Win Hailed
BBC: World leaders have welcomed the narrow election victory of Greece's broadly pro-bailout New Democracy party and urged Athens to form a cabinet quickly.

The eurozone group said reforms were Greece's "best guarantee" to overcome tough economic and social challenges.

European markets reacted positively, rising in early trading after Asia had also recorded gains.

The Syriza party, which rejected the bailout terms and came a close second, said it would lead the opposition.

With 99.9% of ballots counted, interior ministry results put New Democracy on 29.7% of the vote (129 seats), Syriza on 26.9% (71) and the socialist Pasok on 12.3% (33). There are 300 seats in parliament and Greece has a rule that gives the leading party 50 extra seats.

Greek voters had gone to the polls on Sunday following inconclusive elections in May. New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras said Greeks had chosen to stay in the euro and called for a "national salvation government".

Syriza's leader Alexis Tsipras said his party would not take part in the government, and would instead become a powerful anti-austerity voice in the opposition. » | Monday, June 18, 2012

Greek Election Favors Pro-Bailout Party
THE NEW YORK TIMES: ATHENS — Greek voters narrowly favored a pro-bailout party in parliamentary elections on Sunday, a result that is likely to calm world markets and ease fears that the country will leave the euro zone.

Official projections showed the conservative New Democracy party as coming in first, giving it the chance to collect enough support to form a pro-bailout coalition and keep Greece in the euro zone.

Late Sunday night, Alexis Tsipras, the leader of the leftist Syriza party, conceded the election and congratulated the conservative leader of New Democracy, Antonis Samaras. Syriza had called for a rejection of the loan deal that Greece had made with foreign creditors.

Though no party is expected to earn enough seats in the 300-member Parliament to form a government, official projections show that the two traditional parties — New Democracy and the socialist Pasok — would get enough seats to form a coalition. » | Rachel Donadio | Sunday, June 17, 2012

Greek Election Is Euro versus Drachma, Samaras Says
BBC: Sunday's Greek election is a choice between staying in the euro and going back to the drachma, the leader of the centre-right New Democracy party has told a final campaign rally in Athens.

The general election, the second in six weeks, is seen as crucial to Greece's future in the eurozone.

New Democracy broadly accepts the EU/IMF bailout of debt-laden Greece but wants changes to the terms.

Main opponents Syriza reject the terms of the bailout but back the euro.

Syriza surged into second place on 6 May, in an election that produced an inconclusive result, with no party or coalition able to form a government.

Unofficial opinion polls suggest a fall in support for anti-bailout parties.

Under Greek election law, official opinion polls are banned in the two weeks before the election. » | Friday, June 15, 2012

Greeks Face Stark Choice at Ballot Box
Greek voters return to the polls on Sunday, after a previous election in May failed to produce a goverment. The result could determine whether Greece sticks to the terms of its international bailout, and remains in the eurozone. Polls suggest the two main parties are running neck and neck, and neither is likely to win enough seats to rule alone. On the one hand conservative New Democracy is experienced but also accused of years of mismanagement. On the other, the left-wing Syriza bloc is an untarnished opposition, but lacking any experience in government. How the two parties are going to reconcile contradictory positions is anybody's guess - and the prospect of failure carries the risk of bankruptcy. Al Jazeera's John Psaropoulos reports from Athens.