Anti-bailout Syriza carries the day in Greece

Greece's leftwing opposition Syriza party clinched first place in the country's European Parliament elections, a vote which it framed as a referendum on austerity but which also witnessed the rise of a neo-Nazi party to third position nationwide.

With almost a third of the votes counted last night, the anti-bailout Syriza, led by Alexis Tsipras, was on 26.5 per cent, putting it three points ahead of prime minister Antonis Samaras's New Democracy party, which had likewise hoped that the elections would deliver a clear endorsement of the government's economic performance.

Calling for early national elections, Mr Tsipras said his party’s performance had “destroyed every pretext” of the government’s legitimacy “even if Mr Samaras pretends to not understand it”.

"Tomorrow all of Europe will be talking about Syriza. Already the peoples of Europe are celebrating the defeat of the memorandums in the country chosen as a guinea pig by the European leadership," he said.

No question However, the government said there was no question of early elections. Commenting on the results, Mr Samaras said that while he accepted the Greek people had sent a message to his government, they had rejected Syriza's call for the coalition to be overturned.

He insisted that his party was the guarantor of the country’s stability and for its successful exit from the crisis and the bailout memorandums with its lenders.

"Fortunately for Greece and despite its huge problems, the government withstood the extreme attacks against it. Those who tried to make a referendum out of the European elections have failed. They did not succeed in creating the instability, uncertainty or lack of authority they sought," he said.

Although it had been performing miserably in opinion polls ahead of the election, socialist Pasok, the junior partner in Mr Samaras’ coalition, was in fourth place, on just over 8 per cent, giving the government parties a combined lead over Syriza.

In third place on almost 10 percent was neo-Nazi Golden Dawn, whose leader and a third of its MPs are being held on remand on charges of running a criminal organisation.