ATHENS, January 25 (Sputnik) – Leader of the Greek leftist Syriza party Alexis Tsipras on Sunday said Greece's political course would continue to be pro-European after the election, but stressed that Europe’s austerity policy should be changed.
“Our common future in Europe is not a future of tough austerity, but a future of democracy, solidarity and cooperation,” Tsipras told journalists, after casting a ballot at the snap parliamentary election held in Greece on Sunday.
Tsipras noted that the current elections were a chance for the Greek people to return “democracy and dignity” to the country.
“Today we are deciding whether the troika of international creditors will return to Greece to implement measures approved by [Greek Prime Minister Antonis] Samaras, with further cutbacks on pensions and salaries, tax hikes, auction sales of debtor’s housing property, endless austerity measures – or tomorrow the country will demand tough talks to regain its dignity,” the party leader said.
According to the preliminary exit polls, Syriza has been backed by about 35,5 percent of Greek voters, which is 6 percent ahead of the incumbent New Democracy party.
Snap election was declared in Greece in December 2014, after the parliament failed to elect a president and was dissolved.
