Griekse premier optimistisch ondanks electorale nederlaag in regionaal referendum (en) - Hoofdinhoud
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has backed off on a threat to hold a snap general election, claiming that voters in regional poll on Sunday (7 November) endorsed his government's severe austerity programme.
The claim comes despite the facts that his party sustained significant losses and that the vote saw an unprecedented abstention rate.
According to data from the interior ministry, Mr Papandreou's Panhellenic Socialist Movement (Pasok) is leading in five to six regions out of 13. In a similar vote just over a year ago, Pasok took all 13.
"We know that change is not easy. But it was for this change that the Greek people brought us to power a year ago. And today it again confirmed that it wants this change (...) We will continue with our task tomorrow," he said in a televised address.
"Every citizen must sacrifice some of their prosperity to safeguard the future (...) We have to stabilise the economy and reduce the deficit," he added.
Heading into the local elections, Mr Papandreou had made the poll into a referendum on his package of cuts, warning of a fresh general election if his programme was not endorsed.
What defined a clear win for Pasok was never announced, but all eyes were on the crucial region of Attica, home to the capital and 4 million residents.
While the contest to become Attica governor, described by some as a "little prime minister," looks set to go to a second round, the official Pasok candidate, Yiannis Sgouros, came first, ahead of Giannis Dimaras, a left-wing MP who had defected from the party over the cuts.
The government will have to gloss over what analysts are calling an unprecedented abstention rate, however.
Despite being legally required to vote, just 60 percent of people turned out compared to the normal level of 70 percent to 80 percent. In the Attica region, the figure was just 54.4 percent and in Athens itself, 42 percent. In second city Thessaloniki, the turnout was 53.7 percent
Meanwhile, the opposition conservative New Democracy party has accused the prime minister of "electoral blackmail."
It noted that 80 percent of people were opposed to a fresh general election, according to a survey by Metron, meaning that voting decisions were steered by other issues than the austerity package.
The prospect of a general election had also scared markets, with the spread between Greek 10-year bonds and their German equivalents climbing sharply in recent days.
"The Socialists' blackmail dilemma did not yield the blank cheque which they had sought," New Democracy party leader Antonis Samaras said on Sunday.