International reaction was swift in the wake of the unexpectedly easy win by Alexis Tsipras’ SYRIZA party in the Sept. 20 election.
According to the Financial Times, “Mr Tsipras’s clear win secures his place as the pre-eminent figure in Europe’s far-left anti-austerity movement and is likely to galvanise sympathisers including Spain’s Podemos and Jeremy Corbyn, the hard-left leader of Britain’s Labour party.”
FT adds that the Greek prime minister “defied predictions that his capitulation to creditors’ demands in return for a bailout in July and the damaged inflicted on the Greek economy by the protracted negotiations would erode his support.”
Bloomberg quotes that the Mujtaba Rahman, the head of the Europe practice at political consultancy Eurasia Group, as posing the question of whether the incoming Greek government “will be able to successfully conclude the bailout’s first review … That is what economic and political stability will depend upon.”
The international news provider said a review of Greece’s progress is due before the end of the year, “with a positive verdict necessary for money to flow from the 86 billion-euro ($97 billion) aid package. Of particular importance will be the disbursement of funds to recapitalize Greek banks, which have been battered by deposit outflows that prompted capital controls.”
The left-leaning Guardian harked back to … Yanis Varoufakis, referring to the “outspoken former finance minister who infuriated EU officials with his refusal to accept their proposals”.
The UK paper cited Yanis’ quote of an election that serves as a “legalization’ of the capitulation that followed the signing of the dead end, humiliating and irrational” bailout.
“The new government will also need to handle growing refugee inflows. Greece has been the main route into the European Union for tens of thousands of migrants arriving by sea, although nearly all of them quickly leave, heading north over land across the Balkans to richer countries like Germany.”
Finally, Der Spiegel reported in its website edition that “…Greece has largely bowed to the third aid package and demands of its euro partners. The financing of the country is … secured, averted a looming state bankruptcy.”
