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Title: Alexis Tsipras faces shock election defeat as voters on course to punish Syriza at the ballot box
Source:
UK Telegraph
URL Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/ ... -Syriza-at-the-ballot-box.html
Published: Sep 6, 2015
Author: Mehreen Khan
Post Date: 2015-09-06 11:13:02 by cranky
Keywords: None
Views: 1763
Comments: 18
Neutered Leftist party set to lose power to pro-euro conservatives on September 20, according to latest polls Greek voters are set to punish the government of prime minister Alexis Tsipras after polls show his hard-Left Syriza party is on course for a shock defeat in a general election later this month. Mr Tsipras, who called a snap vote on August 20, has seen his party’s comfortable 15 point lead evaporate in just six weeks, putting the centre-right New Democracy in pole position to lead Greece's fifth government in just four years. Mr Tsipras's crown has slipped after he managed to secure a resounding 'No' victory in a referendum to reject the terms of Greece's new rescue deal in July. Polling shows that his personal popularity has collapsed, with voters favouring opposition leader and political veteran Mr Meimarakis to see the country through at least another three years of grueling spending cuts and tax hikes. The ascendant conservatives - who support the bail-out and will keep the country in the euro at all costs - edged ahead of Syriza for the first time since May 2014 in two polls this week. A survey carried out by Metron analysis put ND in the lead with 24pc of the vote, compared to 23.4pc for the incumbent Leftists. A previous poll for Mega TV put them on course for 25.3pc of the vote ahead of Syriza's 25pc. With opposition forces gathering steam, Mr Tsipras is facing a fierce popular backlash having capitulated to onerous bail-out conditions to keep the country in the euro for the next three years. However, pre-election polls suggest no single party will win enough support to form a majority government after the September 20 ballot. Analysts now expect the pro bail-out conservatives, who oversaw the last international rescue and dominated Greek politics before Syriza’s landmark election in January, to form a more stable coalition, dramatically reducing the risks of a future eurozone exit. Smaller pro-euro forces such as Socialists PASOK and the centrist To Potami party are also more inclined to join a unity coalition headed by ND’s interim leader Evangelos Meimarakis, rather than the tainted Mr Tsipras. The new government will face the daunting task of implementing a comprehensive overhaul of Greece's byzantine tax system, privatising €50bn of national assets, and overseeing the recapitalisation of a collapsing banking system. “Greece’s willingness to constructively, rather than confrontationally, engage with creditors will ultimately determine whether eurozone membership can be sustained,” said George Saravelos at Deutsche Bank. “After a new government is sworn in however, the ingredients are likely to be in place for gradual program implementation,” he said. Greece’s political landscape has been transformed since elections were held just eight months ago. Syriza are now a shadow of the radical force that swept to power vowing to rip up the country’s austerity contract but stay in the single currency. The party split into two after 25 of the most radical Left-wing MPs defected to form the breakaway Popular Unity front, vowing to reject Brussels' rescue terms and return Greece to the drachma. Despite the draconian terms of its third international bail-out in five years, the imposition of capital controls, and an economy plunged back into recession, support for the eurozone membership has remained steady at 70pc. "Greek people are generally dissatisfied by the Syriza-Independent Greeks government, disappointed with the outcome of negotiations, and aware of the austerity part of the bailout-package", said Christabel Aranda-Hassel at Credit Suisse. 
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#1. To: cranky (#0)
Alexis who? Oh, never mind. Like Trump said, he probably won't be in office when Trump is President.
Meh. I'd point out that the pollsters were dead wrong when they predicted, right up to election day, the landslide defeats of Bibi in Israel and Cameron in Britain. Instead, both of them routed their opponents. Polls, schmolls. They are increasingly inaccurate and unreliable. Nate Silver seems to suggest there is a new pattern of significant numbers of people simply lying to pollsters deliberately.
Counting on the final victory of the Know-Nothings?
I know nothing about that. Sorry. Nope.
Kind of like your predictions about The Donald.
I know. No dark sarcasm in the classroom. Got it.
Tsipras probably won't be in office next month. There are three kinds of people in the world: those that can add and those that can't
Some are, to be sure. But in this case, I am certain Tsipras is finished. He over-promised and under-delivered and the troika wants him gone, to boot. I can't see him or Syriza staying in power. There are three kinds of people in the world: those that can add and those that can't
Maybe, maybe not. I recall how Bibi and Cameron were both dead ducks, right up to election day when they won landslides. All by the same polling hacks who are announcing that this Greek is a dead man walking. Bibi and Cameron would tell you the only poll that counts is the actual voter polling on election day.
Well, should I memorize his name or not?
If you don't recognize his name already from the news coverage, you're a dolt anyway so it wouldn't matter either way. Memorizing it would mean you're a dolt who knows the name of a Greek PM, not memorizing still means you're a dolt who can't recognize the name of the Greek PM. Or should I have said Grecian PM (Dumbya). Or mentioned that the Austrians still speak Austrian (Odumbya).
I use it in the AM. My hair looks fabulous and I look 20 years younger.
Yeah, sure you do.
Pfffft! I don't waste my time with flash-in-the-pan politicians. To paraphrase Ol' Blue Eyes, "He's ridin' high in January, shot down in August ..." You want to show off how smart you are, be my guest.
And Stalin would supposedly tell me who counts the vote decides everything. Political platitudes notwithstanding, I think Tsipras fatally misplayed his hand with the Troika. They called his bluff and he folded. Even if he survives this snap election, his days are numbered. Now that they have spanked him and sent him to bed without his supper, the Troika is ready to kick him to the curb. And so it will be. If not by this election then by replacing him with technocrats (as the Troika did to Papandreou). Plus, his personal popularity numbers have plummeted since he sold out his constituents when he did the one eighty on leaving the ez. His followers haven't forgiven him according to virually all the accounts I've read. jmo but I don't see him or his party hanging onto what power they have left. There are three kinds of people in the world: those that can add and those that can't
Actually, Tsipras called the EU's bluff and they were the ones who folded. Whether Greeks will go all pro-EU and embrace decades of crushing financial pain is an open question. Tsipras and Syriza won big on the last dustup.
Interesting. I could have sworn that it was reported that the terms Tsipras agreed to after the referendum were far harsher and punitive than the offer that Tsipras left on the table. And none of the accounts I've read reported the escrow account financed by a fire sale of Greek assets was was demanded by Tsipras. In fact, he apparently didn't care much for the idea. Also, Tsipras' demand that the IMF be excluded from the third bailout package was summarily dismissed by the Troika. As for the debt forgiveness that would have almost certainly occurred had Tsipras not tried to strong arm the Troika, that reduction when it does occur, will now be at least 60 billion euros less and will not include the IMF. But if you want to call Tsipas' negotiations a smashing success, that's fine with me. There are three kinds of people in the world: those that can add and those that can't
The fat lady hasn't sung yet.
"Alexis Tsipras"
#2. To: cranky (#0)
Polling shows that his personal popularity has collapsed, with voters favouring opposition leader and political veteran Mr Meimarakis to see the country through at least another three years of grueling spending cuts and tax hikes.
#3. To: misterwhite (#1)
Oh, never mind. Like Trump said, he probably won't be in office when Trump is President.
#4. To: TooConservative (#3)
"Counting on the final victory of the Know-Nothings?"
#5. To: TooConservative (#2)
are increasingly inaccurate and unreliable.
#6. To: misterwhite (#4)
(Edited)
I know nothing about that. Sorry. Nope.
#7. To: misterwhite (#1)
he probably won't be in office when Trump is President
#8. To: TooConservative (#2)
Polls, schmolls. They are increasingly inaccurate and unreliable.
#9. To: cranky (#8)
But in this case, I am certain Tsipras is finished.
#10. To: TooConservative (#9)
"But in this case, I am certain Tsipras is finished."
"Maybe, maybe not."
#11. To: misterwhite (#10)
Well, should I memorize his name or not?
#12. To: TooConservative (#11)
"Or should I have said Grecian PM"
#13. To: misterwhite (#12)
I use it in the AM. My hair looks fabulous and I look 20 years younger.
#14. To: TooConservative (#11)
"If you don't recognize his name already from the news coverage, you're a dolt anyway so it wouldn't matter either way."
#15. To: TooConservative (#9)
Bibi and Cameron would tell you the only poll that counts is the actual voter polling on election day.
#16. To: cranky (#15)
Political platitudes notwithstanding, I think Tsipras fatally misplayed his hand with the Troika. They called his bluff and he folded.
#17. To: TooConservative (#16)
Actually, Tsipras called the EU's bluff and they were the ones who folded.
#18. To: cranky (#17)
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