Greek PM Blackmails Voters Into Supporting Austerity

Greece's prime minister dropped his threat to call an early election Sunday, saying Greeks had shown in crucial local elections they wanted his government to continue with the austerity measures aimed at pulling the debt-ridden country out of a severe financial crisis.

But George Papandreou's governing Socialists lost significant ground to the opposition conservatives compared to their landslide win in general elections just over a year ago, while many voters showed their displeasure with the bracing austerity package by staying away. In a country where voting is compulsory, turnout for the Sunday poll was projected at around 60 percent.

Papandreou had threatened to call snap general elections if his governing socialist PASOK party fared badly in Sunday's vote for 13 regional governors and 325 mayors, billed as a referendum on the government's austerity measures.'

Read more...