National Unity government to be formed in Greece / Greek General Elections

[C. Flower]

The final exit polls tallies as follows:

ND 29.3% 127 (incl 50-seats bonus)

SYRIZA 27.5% 72

PASOK 11.5% 32

INDEPGREEKS 7% 21

CHRYSIAVGI 6.8% 19

DEMLEFT 6.6% 16

KKE 6% 13

The second number is the amount of seats. This confirms my worst fear, ND and PASOK would have majority coalition based on these figures. there will be trouble, serious trouble....

Just a reminder of where things were in May.

[20 yards of linen=1 coat]

So do you not give it much credence Ephilant? My heart jumped when I saw it I have to say. I've been feeling more and more invested in a Syriza win over the last while. I hope Tsipras doesn't disappoint entirely if he ever gets to make a go of things

[C. Flower]

A counting centre in Athens was just attacked by 20-30 masked people. They stole a ballot box, poured petrol over it and torched it. New elections? If any one of the parties complains and the race is tight enough for this to make a difference, they have a very good case...

Time to organise some citizens defence ?

[Ephilant]

So do you not give it much credence Ephilant? My heart jumped when I saw it I have to say. I've been feeling more and more invested in a Syriza win over the last while. I hope Tsipras doesn't disappoint entirely if he ever gets to make a go of things

PASOK is poison for any coalition, even ND. But Samaras couldn't give a toss. He has for years been trying to get his hands on the title of Prime Minister, organised a good few "cooups" to get his rivals out of the way, and has it within his grasp. He woujldn't think twice about a coalition wiht PASOK. In fact, I'm very sure if it made up the numbers, he would get into bed with the fascist without blinking an eyelid.
SYRIZA represents a break from the past, most definitely a break from the PASOK past, A coaliton with PASOK would be political suicide for Tsipras and SYRIZA. They would be back to their 5.6% in a flash.
I was just listening with half an ear to a radio interview with Diamantopoulou. and she actually says the same thing as I#ve said from day one. It would be impossible fro another ND/PAOSK coaliton to take power, because it would casue a revolution in the streets of our cities and towns. And she is right, it would.
So, my prediction is getting stronger. we'll be back in this situation in a months time. Unless of course it is decided that "democracy is not functioning" and the guys in fancy dress uniform decide to take over...

[bormotello]

A counting centre in Athens was just attacked by 20-30 masked people. They stole a ballot box, poured petrol over it and torched it. New elections? If any one of the parties complains and the race is tight enough for this to make a difference, they have a very good case...

SYRIZA supporters strike back?

[20 yards of linen=1 coat]

Time to organise some citizens defence ?

Maybe so. They should at least have been persuaded to leave their local alone anyway...

SYRIZA supporters strike back?

Obviously not Syriza supporters, but you know that already I suppose.

[20 yards of linen=1 coat]

Watching ND slowly creeping down on this over the last while. Not going quick enough in comparison to the number of votes getting counted

[Ephilant]

Time to organise some citizens defence ?

That is what the organized left should have done months ago when the fascists started getting stronger. Ok, give them some of their own medicine for sure, it's the only language they understand. But taking the wind out of their sails should have been an absolute priority.
And yes, it means helping little old ladies cross the road, being seen to be involved in a community. It doesn't mean beating up immigrants, it does mean diverting people away from looking at that as a solution and showing them real solutions.
At some stage we got a visit in our shelter, and it was an 83 year old woman together with her daughter and granddaughter (14 years of age) who faced them down. But if you just give them the streets, then you end up losing the communities who need you most, and will stick with you through everything if they feel a connection with you. The left did leave a lot of people down in that respect...

[Ephilant]

Samaras was just on TV. He wants to form a coaliton tomorrow. As I said, anybody will do for the guy, he simply doesn't care.

Only 18% of the vote has been counted so far, the difference is 2.4% between SYRIZA and ND. There could just still be a surprise in the making.
SYRIZA just announces that they will NOT form a coalition with a Pro-bailout party. See you in 1 month...

[20 yards of linen=1 coat]

That is what the organized left should have done months ago when the fascists started getting stronger. Ok, give them some of their own medicine for sure, it's the only language they understand. But taking the wind out of their sails should have been an absolute priority.
And yes, it means helping little old ladies cross the road, being seen to be involved in a community. It doesn't mean beating up immigrants, it does mean diverting people away from looking at that as a solution and showing them real solutions.
At some stage we got a visit in our shelter, and it was an 83 year old woman together with her daughter and granddaughter (14 years of age) who faced them down. But if you just give them the streets, then you end up losing the communities who need you most, and will stick with you through everything if they feel a connection with you. The left did leave a lot of people down in that respect...

These weren't fascists though. They were probably some of the most militant anti-fascists. It happened in Exarcheia. I've never really understood the anarchist policy of not voting in elections where there is actually an alternative, however imperfect one or both of the options are. One is always going to be worse than the other, so you might as well use the vote as a kind of minimum of political engagement.

Actively disrupting them is taking it to another level, and given the situation in Greece at the moment (and the likely voting patterns in Exarcheia) seems like a stupid thing to do.

[C. Flower]

That is what the organized left should have done months ago when the fascists started getting stronger. Ok, give them some of their own medicine for sure, it's the only language they understand. But taking the wind out of their sails should have been an absolute priority.
And yes, it means helping little old ladies cross the road, being seen to be involved in a community. It doesn't mean beating up immigrants, it does mean diverting people away from looking at that as a solution and showing them real solutions.
At some stage we got a visit in our shelter, and it was an 83 year old woman together with her daughter and granddaughter (14 years of age) who faced them down. But if you just give them the streets, then you end up losing the communities who need you most, and will stick with you through everything if they feel a connection with you. The left did leave a lot of people down in that respect...

Not too late. It needs to be done... is essential.... and as you say is part of social responsibility, the same as feeding people. Gangs running around beating up immigrants can soon have their coughs softened. I saw it done in East London, years ago.

The hospitals too are running out of drugs. No matter who is elected, there will be massive work to do.

It's coming down the tracks here in Ireland too - but people don't see it yet.

Someone is sending some photos in - one here of a Merc - still plenty around he says - and unemptied rubbish bins. All bins being searched for food by those without.





*sighs* RTE's report on the elections is totally uninformed

[Ephilant]

great, flight delayed for at least 4 hours, and internet grinding to a halt...

Samaras will be the new Prime Minister and form his government tomorrow, or so he says.

Tsipras says there is no point in trying to form a government as things stand.

Venizelos has surfaced and said given the deadlock after the election, the President should call the leaders of the 4 biggest parties (ND/PASOK/DEM LEFT/SYRIZA) in tomorrow and force them to form a government of national unity with an outsiders a PM.

[Ephilant]

So, Antonis Samaras is really sure of himself. With 22% of the vote counted, he already held his "victory speech", announced himself as the new prime minister of Greece who will lead Greece on the path to recovery within Europe, etc. etc.
He has oviously not yet been informed that all the others hae told him were to go... Which part of the word "NEIN" do you not understand Antonis?

[Ephilant]

So, here we go.

Nobody can go it alone. PASOK is actually the power broker here, again (When will we ever learn?????)
PASOK says no to a coalition without SYRIZA. SYRIZA says no to a coalition with PASOK. Samaras has already declared himself PM, but has no goverment to PM over, and wont get one by the looks of it either. Unless somebody has a serious Monthy Python moment and does a momentious U-Turn, we'll be back in a month.
What will happen? Further polarization. Dem Left sees a good percentage of it's vote go to SYRIZA this time around, so does KKE. Independent Greeks see a good deal of there votes go to ND and CA. Next time around, we could very well see these parties sink below the 3 %.
Result, the very same as right now, but fewer players. The sad thing is that CA will probably get stronger, but it will not be at the expense of left votes, just a redistribution of right votes. So what's key?
Venizolos knows only too well. Either PASOK changes policies to the point that they become part of SYRIZA, or they change in the other direction and become part of ND. But either way, the only solution to this is the complete demise of PASOK. Not a bad thing in itself, they just should get it over and done with.

[C. Flower]

Syriza has conceded to ND. Will be a constructive opposition - says Greece voted against austerity.

There's also a story, unsourced, of EU concessions....

Thanks of course to Syriza, if true.