Greek party opposed to austerity wins historic election

ATHENS: Greek anti-austerity party Syriza on Sunday won a historic election promising to alter the course of austerity in Europe, but with 80 percent of votes counted it was short of an outright majority.

There are two parties with which Syriza can find enough common ground to form a coalition with: the pro-European To Potami (The River) and the nationalist Independent Greeks.

Interestingly, both parties have said they will not join a government if the other is included.

To Potami (The River)

Created in 2014, To Potami (Greek for 'The River') is a pro-European party presenting itself as the voice of common sense in Greece.

Its founder, 51-year-old former star journalist Stavros Theodorakis, shares Syriza's conviction that Greece's debt needs to be renegotiated, but not at the cost of risking the country's place in Europe.

"We will back the effort to keep the country in Europe," Theodorakis said late on Sunday, with his party seemed set to finish in fourth place with nearly 6.0 percent of the vote, enough for 16 seats in parliament.

Earlier in the campaign, he said polls showed 55 percent of Greeks wanted To Potami to participate in government "and we do not want to postpone the moment".

Theodorakis has said a Europe-wide discussion is required on the Greek debt issue as "it is not just a Greek problem".

And he also wants Germany to return "around 1.0 billion euros ($1.1 billion)" in forced wartime loans.

But on Sunday he insisted he would not join a government with "anti-Europeans", meaning the Independent Greeks party.

With a host of fresh young faces as candidates, the party picked up 6.6 percent of the vote in May's European elections.

Independent Greeks (ANEL)

A party born of Greece's economic crisis, the nationalist Independent Greeks (ANEL) helped Syriza block a presidential vote in December that brought about Sunday's general election.

Party leader Panos Kammenos, 49, has been preening himself as a potential partner for Syriza partner ever since.

ANEL's tongue-in-cheek campaign ad made plain Kammenos' aspirations: he walks into a shop and gives a little boy named Alexis -- a stand-in for fresh-faced Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras -- tips on how to steer his toy train.

Kammenos, who is fond of conspiracy theories, caused an uproar in December by claiming that people close to the Samaras government had tried to bribe two of his lawmakers.

ANEL are hoping to become Syriza's coalition partners but it is unclear whether such an invitation is forthcoming.

Kammenos on Sunday told reporters that his party would not join a government including To Potami.

The party won 3.47 percent in the European elections and now stands to pick up around 4.7 percent, enough for 13 seats in parliament.