"Supporters of the ruling New Democraty party celebrate while watching the exit polls giving a lead to New Democracy party at a central square in Athens Sept. 16, 2007, during country's general elections. "Takis Takatos/AFP/
Posted on 09/16/2007 7:29:56 PM PDT by BenLurkin
(AP) ATHENS, Greece Greece's governing conservatives were winning parliamentary elections Sunday with just over 40 percent of the vote counted, official results showed.
Prime Minister Costa Karamanlis' New Democracy party was ahead with 43.7 percent, while the opposition socialist PASOK party had 38.5 percent.
A beaming Karamanlis emerged onto the balcony of his party headquarters in central Athens and waved to cheering crowds of supporters below, but did not make any statements.
"Supporters of the ruling New Democraty party celebrate while watching the exit polls giving a lead to New Democracy party at a central square in Athens Sept. 16, 2007, during country's general elections. "Takis Takatos/AFP/
Good to see Socialists lose, but I have no idea what “conservative” means in Greece.
Greece PM Karamanlis Wins Re-Election
Updated: 02:50, Monday September 17, 2007
Greece’s conservative Prime Minister has won re-election with a diminished majority after a financial scandal and devastating forest fires last month.
The slimmer majority could make it harder for the Government to carry out crucial economic and education reforms.
But the conservatives inflicted a stronger defeat than expected on their rival socialists, who were seen as being in disarray after receiving the lowest number of parliamentary seats in 30 years.
“Thank you for your trust. You have spoken loud and clear and chosen the course the country will take in the next few years,” Costas Karamanlis said.
His statement came minutes after his rival, socialist party leader George Papandreou, conceded defeat.
“You gave us a clear mandate to continue with the reforms the country needs.
“I feel doubly responsible to be more effective and avoid mistakes.”
Karamanlis and Papandreou, both heirs to prominent political dynasties, have lost support to smaller parties.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1284350,00.html
By most European standards, John Kerry would be considered “conservative”;)
 Costas Karamanlis celebrates |
In which case, this means the Conservative Marxists beat the liberal Stalinists.
I searched but obviously not well enough: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1897588/posts
Happens to all of us. I had not noticed it before. Always a new audience not noting it before as well. Thanks.
pretty much same as here but with small country in a big pond mentality.
It varries from country to country, but you have to keep in mind the Greeks fought a communist incursion in 1945-1951.
Socialists mean socialists. (btw the leader of the socialist party is called the Amerikanaki, little american, because he was born and educated in the USA)
Conservatives have a clear majority over 151 and thus no need for a coalition governemnt.
Karamanlis has also enjoyed good relations with the United States, meeting twice with President Bush at the White House in his first 14 months in office. Greece's socialists, meanwhile, have had a more contentious relationship with the U.S. The late Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, George Papandreou's father and PASOK's founder, was best known for his fiery anti-U.S. rhetoric.
Prime Minister's Party Wins Greek Vote
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