Greece To The Polls

[Kathianne]

will it have to leave EU or not?

http://news.yahoo.com/angry-greeks-v...-business.html

Angry Greeks vote in cliffhanger election

<cite class="byline vcard">By Lefteris Papadimas and Ingrid Melander |

</cite>ATHENS (Reuters) - Angry Greek voters headed to the polls on Sunday for an election shrouded in uncertainty that could reignite Europe's debt crisis and renew doubts about the country's future in the euro zone.


At stake in the first general election since the debt crisis exploded at the end of 2009 is whether Greece sticks to the terms of deeply unpopular EU/IMF bailouts which saved it from bankruptcy but propelled it into a deep, protracted recession.


Opinion polls show voters hit by record unemployment and steep wage cuts will send to parliament an unprecedented number of small parties opposed to the austerity and punish New Democracy and the Socialist PASOK - the two parties who have ruled Greece for decades and the only major ones backing the bailouts.


Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. local time (0400 GMT) across Greece and will close at 12:00 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT), with many voters making up their mind at the last minute.


Many flinched and turned their head away at a polling station in the southern Athens suburb of Ilioupoli when asked if they had voted for one of the big parties...

[SassyLady]

will it have to leave EU or not?

http://news.yahoo.com/angry-greeks-v...-business.html

It will be interesting to see if a third party arises from this. Not sure about leaving the EU.

[Kathianne]

It will be interesting to see if a third party arises from this. Not sure about leaving the EU.

3rd party? They've like tens! Part of the problem.

[SassyLady]

3rd party? They've like tens! Part of the problem.

Talking a major third party ... one that gets the majority of the vote instead of splitting it 10 ways to hell, but still not one of the major two.

[Kathianne]

If they elect someone that eventually forms a coalition that backs off of paying off loans and cutting costs, they will no longer get the loans, (Germany is even feeling the pressure to cut back), they'll have no choice but to leave the Euro and basically fail.

[fj1200]

If they elect someone that eventually forms a coalition that backs off of paying off loans and cutting costs, they will no longer get the loans, (Germany is even feeling the pressure to cut back), they'll have no choice but to leave the Euro and basically fail.

They have no business being in the Euro. No fiscal fortitude.

[Kathianne]

They have no business being in the Euro. No fiscal fortitude.

I agree, the bailouts are likely worse following bad. The people in Germany are getting fed up. Many of them had to deal with the wall falling a couple decades ago. The economy comes back, then falls again to recession. How long is it going to last? Much longer with the Greek debt they're carrying. Then there's Spain, Italy, ...