ATHENS: Radical leftw­ing party Syriza won Greece’s general election on Sunday in a victory that could impact the course of austerity in Europe, exit polls showed.

Syriza took between 35.5 per cent and 39.5pc of the vote, according to the polls, compared to between 23pc and 27pc for the conservative New Democracy party.

If the result is confirmed, Syriza’s 40-year-old leader Alexis Tsipras could become Greece’s youngest prime minister in 150 years.

“This appears to be a historic victory, a message that does not only concern the Greek people,” Syriza party spokesman Panos Skourletis said. “It resounds all over Europe and brings relief,” he said on Mega channel.

Neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn and pro-European party To Potami are in a neck-and-neck race for third place with between 6.4pc and 8.0pc apiece, the polls showed.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2015

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