Alexis Tsipras and his party have returned to power with a mandate to govern Greece and implement the bailout deal With 99.5% of the votes counted, Syriza had 35.5% of the vote, easily beating the centre-right New Democracy, the next biggest party on 28.1%. After Tsipras disappointed supporters by accepting a harsh eurozone-led austerity programme finalised in August, leftwingers appeared to be deserting Syriza, with polls showing New Democracy level just two weeks ago. But Syriza will now have 145 seats in the 300-member parliament – just four fewer than when Tsipras took power in January. Its share of the vote is also less than one percentage point down on its 36.3% share in January, although turnout was put at a record low of 55.6%. Related: Greek elections: Tsipras to be sworn in as PM again - live updates What next for Syriza and Alexis Tsipras? Related: Greece election result: the key numbers Continue reading...
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