New Greek elections

[Washington Resistance Army]

If Golden Dawn heeded my advice and merged with the communists to become Red Dawn they could have won.

[Mike the Progressive]

If Golden Dawn heeded my advice and merged with the communists to become Red Dawn they could have won.

That's hilariously brilliant though equally as absurd.

[Busen]

Kinda sad to see Potima blocked out of the current government coalition (apparently) but good in the Greeks. Can't say I support SYRIZA but they at least set a message to Europe about their distaste for EU economic policy as well as Austarity measures.

I'm not terribly surprised that Potima was shut out of things. By the look of their Wiki page, they seem like the sort of bland, inoffensive centrist party that have been suffering badly in European elections for years now. It would be bad optics for Syriza to ally with them now.

NSG left-wingers seems to ignore some things due to their wishfull thinking.
Potami is a pro-austerity europhile party while ANEL is just like Syriza an antti-austerity and anti-EU. ANEL was Syrizas only logicall option.

[Jackonia]

I don't really understand why most if not all of these anti-austerity Parties (Syriza, ANEL etc.) want Greece to stay in the Euro. Have they not seen what the Euro has done to their Economy? It's because of the Euro that Greece is such a dire economic situation. Fighting the recession in Greece means leaving the Euro and returning to a currency that best suits the way the Greek economic system works. Greece can't work with the Euro, it's time to bring back the Drachma
(and Monarchy, though that's not such a priority right now.)

[Earl of Sandwich IV]

Greece is not in the situation it is just because of the euro. Greece already had trouble before they joined the euro, that's one of the reasons they joined in the first place. They hoped that'll push interest rates down, which it did. Also greece was one a big benefactor of the EU budget.

[Ramptonia]

Well they've formed a coalition with ANEL - the government is projected to have 162 seats in Parliament.

[Chestaan]

The chances of Greece leaving the eurozone under this coalition is very low.

That's a shame, I think it might be better in the long term both for Greece and Europe if they ditch it.

What is your opinion on the other PIIGS leaving the euro area? I've seen a paper that argues that the eurozone is far from an optimal currency area and any optimal currency that does exist within the EU would be much much smaller.

Also, what happened to your Prince George flag?

[Baltenstein]

World leaders reacting to the outcome of the Greek elections:

A number of personalities rushed to congratulate Radical left Coalition leader Alexis Tsipras for his win at Sunday’s national elections. Here are some reactions:

United States

The White House said on Monday that it is looking forward to a close collaboration with Greece’s new government following the success of the Radical Left Coalition SYRIZA party that strode into power on Sunday. “We congratulate Greece on successfully completing its parliamentary elections and we look forward to working closely with its next government,” said White House National Security Council Spokesman Mark Stroh from New Delhi.

France

French President Francois Hollande congratulated Mr. Tsipras for his party’s victory and pledged to work together. “He expressed a “desire to pursue the close cooperation between our two countries in service of growth and the stability of the euro zone, in a spirit of progress, solidarity and responsibility that is at the heart of the European values we share.”

Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Mr. Tsipras for his decisive victory and expressed certainty that Greece and Russia would continue to develop the traditionally close ties that bind them in an effort to constructively find solutions to current European and international problems. He congratulated Mr. Tsipras with a telegram and wished him “success… in light of the current complex conditions.” (Har har #laconicRussianwit)

United Kingdom

British Prime Minister David Cameron wasted no time tweeting his view that the success of SYRIZA marked a time of “economic uncertainty”. (Boo! Hiss!)

Germany

Socialist European Parliament President Martin Schulz telephoned the next PM of Greece on Sunday evening to congratulate him on his party’s victory. Mr. Shulz congratulated Mr. Tsipras and gave assurances that he would do whatever he can so that a “mutually acceptable, viable solution” is found in the context of Greece’s negotiations with its international creditors.

On her part, German chancellor Angela Merkel made no statement concerning Greece’s electoral results. Sources close to the chancellor said that Ms. Merkel wanted to see the full results before making a statement. (Typical.)

Cyprus

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades congratulated Mr. Tsipras in a telegram sent on Monday morning. “I would like to congratulate you for your proud and historic victory, wishing every success to the mandate you have been given by the Greek people,” he said, adding that he looked forward to “close and sincere cooperation” with the Greek leader so as to “face the challenges in all the major issues, whether they relate to the Cyprus issue or to the economic and other pursuits of Greece and Cyprus.”

http://en.protothema.gr/international-l ... s-triumph/

[Jetan]

A shame (if not a suprise) that Syriza won. If they go back on the greek debts and obligations, then Greece can sink on it 's own, if the greeks don't want the help anymore then I don't see why we should give it.

[CTALNH]

Yolo.

[CTALNH]

I don't really understand why most if not all of these anti-austerity Parties (Syriza, ANEL etc.) want Greece to stay in the Euro. Have they not seen what the Euro has done to their Economy? It's because of the Euro that Greece is such a dire economic situation. Fighting the recession in Greece means leaving the Euro and returning to a currency that best suits the way the Greek economic system works. Greece can't work with the Euro, it's time to bring back the Drachma
(and Monarchy, though that's not such a priority right now.)

First FUCK Monarchy

Second We don't have an economy right now because it was destroyed by the euro.If we leave right now we are fucked.

[DnalweN acilbupeR]

Greece has now succumbed to the same populistic, spending-heavy bullshit that got them here in the first place.

[DnalweN acilbupeR]

I don't really understand why most if not all of these anti-austerity Parties (Syriza, ANEL etc.) want Greece to stay in the Euro. Have they not seen what the Euro has done to their Economy? It's because of the Euro that Greece is such a dire economic situation. Fighting the recession in Greece means leaving the Euro and returning to a currency that best suits the way the Greek economic system works. Greece can't work with the Euro, it's time to bring back the Drachma
(and Monarchy, though that's not such a priority right now.)

First FUCK Monarchy

Second We don't have an economy right now because it was destroyed by the euro.If we leave right now we are fucked.

Your economy never matched your spending. You can't pretend to be Germany and not pay for it someday, some way or another.

[MERIZoC]

Greece has now succumbed to the same populistic, spending-heavy bullshit that got them here in the first place.

Yeah, those austerity measures definitely worked.

[DnalweN acilbupeR]

Greece has now succumbed to the same populistic, spending-heavy bullshit that got them here in the first place.

Yeah, those austerity measures definitely worked.

The "austerity" is long overdue. No wonder it didn't work.

[Greonterp]

What the fuck?. Seriously, that was not expected.

[Southern Hampshire]

Greece has now succumbed to the same populistic, spending-heavy bullshit that got them here in the first place.

Yeah, those austerity measures definitely worked.

Yeah when you run a constant deficit for 3 generations it's kinda hard not to fuck up.

Germany

Socialist European Parliament President Martin Schulz telephoned the next PM of Greece on Sunday evening to congratulate him on his party’s victory. Mr. Shulz congratulated Mr. Tsipras and gave assurances that he would do whatever he can so that a “mutually acceptable, viable solution” is found in the context of Greece’s negotiations with its international creditors.

On her part, German chancellor Angela Merkel made no statement concerning Greece’s electoral results. Sources close to the chancellor said that Ms. Merkel wanted to see the full results before making a statement. (Typical.)

There was no response from Germany, so why did you put it in there? Also Martin Schulz speaks on behalf of the EU not Germany. Just because Obama is Kenyan doesn't mean his speeches should be attributed to Kenyan reactions.

[Baltenstein]

If you knew about Merkel's policy style, you'd know that not commenting on current events first and taking the most mainstream position later is typical for her.

Not sure what the Obama/Kenyan comment was about. Truther?

[Teemant]

Greece is not in the situation it is just because of the euro. Greece already had trouble before they joined the euro, that's one of the reasons they joined in the first place. They hoped that'll push interest rates down, which it did. Also greece was one a big benefactor of the EU budget.

And they lied to get into eurozone.

[Teemant]

Yeah, those austerity measures definitely worked.

The "austerity" is long overdue. No wonder it didn't work.

There was never austerity in Greece it seems to me. Austerity means having budget surplus but right now they have budget deficit 12.7%. It is no where near austerity.

[Farnhamia]

The "austerity" is long overdue. No wonder it didn't work.

There was never austerity in Greece it seems to me. Austerity means having budget surplus but right now they have budget deficit 12.7%. It is no where near austerity.

Austerity means slashing public expenditures like public services, government employee pay and social benefits. The Greeks have cut those things to where they are now about 20% lower than they were in 2010. Guess what? It didn't work.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/26/opini ... tmare.html

[Liberty and Linguistics]

The "austerity" is long overdue. No wonder it didn't work.

There was never austerity in Greece it seems to me. Austerity means having budget surplus but right now they have budget deficit 12.7%. It is no where near austerity.

That's not what austerity is. Austerity is raising taxes and slashing spending, not a budget surplus. I recommend you google search the term "economics."

[Teemant]

There was never austerity in Greece it seems to me. Austerity means having budget surplus but right now they have budget deficit 12.7%. It is no where near austerity.

Austerity means slashing public expenditures like public services, government employee pay and social benefits. The Greeks have cut those things to where they are now about 20% lower than they were in 2010. Guess what? It didn't work.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/26/opini ... tmare.html

Krugman.

I simply don't trust his point of view. He said austerity in Estonia was never going to work but Estonia is in better shape right now than before global economic crisis.

And about cutting. For example Latvia cut 40% of goverment spending.

[Calimera II]

Austerity means slashing public expenditures like public services, government employee pay and social benefits. The Greeks have cut those things to where they are now about 20% lower than they were in 2010. Guess what? It didn't work.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/26/opini ... tmare.html

Krugman.

I simply don't trust his point of view. He said austerity in Estonia was never going to work but Estonia is in better shape right now than before global economic crisis.

And he said that Argentina is doing absolutely fine.

[Farnhamia]

Austerity means slashing public expenditures like public services, government employee pay and social benefits. The Greeks have cut those things to where they are now about 20% lower than they were in 2010. Guess what? It didn't work.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/26/opini ... tmare.html

Krugman.

I simply don't trust his point of view. He said austerity in Estonia was never going to work but Estonia is in better shape right now than before global economic crisis.

I don't know about Estonia but I do know that having to choose between you and a Nobel Prize winner, I'll go with the latter. The thing is, if Krugman was wrong on Estonia, I imagine he's owned up to it. The austerity crowd in Europe has never admitted that their programs for the debtor nations have not worked. They just keep saying those countries didn't do it right.

I suppose I'll have to ask both you and Calimera for sources now.