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WORLD NEWSSaturday 29 August 2015
Former PM Tsipras’ popularity tanks ahead of Greek elections
is Tsipras’ popularity has austerity measures accom-
tanked in recent months
to the lowest since his elec- panying the new three-
tion in January.
The poll results, which in- year, 86 billion euro ($97 bil-
dicate that the debt-crip-
pled country might even lion) bailout.
need a second election
before a government can The first opinion polls since
be formed, came hours
after a caretaker govern- Tsipras’ resignation, pub-
ment was formed ahead
of the Sept. 20 vote. lished Friday, showed that
Prime Minister Vassiliki Tha-
nou, the first woman to his popularity has fallen sig-
hold the post, was appoint-
ed Thursday following Tsip- nificantly since the bailout
ras’ resignation last week.
He stepped down after a deal, while Syriza has lost
rebellion by members of
his radical-left Syriza party ground to the conservative
who objected to his agree-
ment with the conditions of main opposition New De-
Greece’s third international
bailout. mocracy.
The deal rankled with many
Greeks, as Tsipras was A University of Macedo-
elected on promises to re-
verse the resented income nia survey for private Skai
cuts and tax hikes that ac-
companied Greece’s first TV gave Syriza 25 percent,
two bailouts, contributed
to a spike in unemployment down from 34.5 percent
that is still above 25 per-
cent, and wiped a quarter in June — and not nearly
off the economy.
Tsipras, who resigned bare- enough to secure him more
ly seven months into his
four-year term, has said he than half of parliament’s
needs a stronger mandate
to implement the tough 300 seats. That compares
to 22 percent for ND, which
gained from 16.5 percent
Outgoing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras speaks in Athens. Polls show that Tsipras’ popularity has in June.
tanked in recent months to the lowest since his election in January.
It also projects that nine
(AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
parties will enter parlia-
NICHOLAS PAPHITIS
Associated Press ment. Crucially, it shows
ATHENS, Greece (AP) —
Greece’s former governing that Tsipras’ former coali-
radical-left party is unlikely
to win an outright majority tion partner, the right wing
in a crucial national elec-
tion next month, and its populist Independent
lead over the opposition
conservatives has nar- Greeks — the only party
rowed, early opinion polls
showed Friday. Tsipras has said he could
The polls also found that
former prime minister Alex- form a new coalition with
— will fall short of the three
percent parliamentary en-
try threshold. If confirmed,
and if Tsipras sticks to his
word, that would leave him
unable to form a coalition,
but ND would face similar
difficulties.q
Turkish President approves interim government
SUZAN FRASER tion government following Davutoglu said HDP legisla-
Associated Press an inconclusive vote on tors Muslum Dogan and Ali
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — June 7. Two opposition par- Haydar Konca will become
President Recep Tayyip Er- ties refused to participate ministers in charge of de-
dogan on Friday approved in the 26-member power- velopment and of relations
an interim government that sharing Cabinet, forcing with the European Union.
will lead Turkey into a new Davutoglu to fill ministries The HDP, which grew out
election in November, pav- allocated to the opposition of the Kurdish nationalist
ing the way for two legisla- with independent figures. movement, has broad-
tors from Turkey’s pro-Kurd- Three legislators from the ened its appeal to attract
ish party to take up ministe- pro-Kurdish People’s De- leftist and liberal votes from
rial posts for the first time. mocracy Party, or HDP, across Turkey. The two leg-
Prime Minister Ahmet Da- were also invited to join the islators take ministerial posts
vutoglu was tasked with Cabinet and two of them after the party, for the first
forming a caretaker gov- accepted, as did a promi- time, managed to pass a
ernment until an election nent member of Turkey’s 10 percent minimum vote
scheduled for Nov. 1, after nationalist party who broke threshold required for it to
he failed to form a coali- ranks with his party. be represented in parlia-
ment in the June election.
