Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipiras Resigns,Calls For Early Election Thursday Aug 20,2015

 

Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has announced he is resigning and has called an early election.

Alexis Tsipiras made the announcement in a televised state address on Thursday Aug 20,2015

"The political mandate of the 25 January elections has exhausted its limits and now the Greek people have to have their say," he said.
"I want to be honest with you. We did not achieve the agreement we expected before the January elections."

Alexis Tsipras (left) meets President Prokopis Pavlopoulos to submit his resignation  

 

Alexis Tsipras, who was only elected in January 2015, said he had a moral duty to go to the polls now a third bailout had been secured with European creditors.

 

In January 2015, Alexis Tsipras went to the polls in Greece as a man who would stand against austerity. What a difference seven months makes. Now he is calling elections to ask the Greek public to support the way he is trying to lead this country out of its financial crisis.
That means spending cuts, tax rises and, of course, that third bailout that's already been agreed. All of that is opposed by a sizeable number of hard-left MPs within his own party, Syriza.


The election date is yet to be set but earlier reports suggested September 20,2015


Note

Syriza won 149 seats in Greece's 300-seat parliament in the last election in January 2015 and the Conservative New Democracy party came second, with 76 seats.