#GREECE: Greeks Return Syriza Party & Tsipras To Power With Coalition In Surprising Result

[world politics news]

Alexis Tsipras' left-wing, anti-austerity Syriza Party entered Sunday's election badly damaged but in the end, Greek voters decided to give them another chance, winning the fifth election in six years. Syriza topped the vote, gaining 35%, the conservative New Democracy party had 28% and the far-right Golden Dawn is set to be the third biggest party, with 7.1%.

#GREECE: Syriza Party Struggles To Maintain Power Ahead Of Elections

[world politics news]

With just days before an election, the Syriza Party is fighting for its life after one-fourth of its members have left  to form the a new party, Popular Unity, which is more radically opposed to austerity and openly calls for Greece to exit the EU. Two polls put Syriza and the center-right New Democracy Party nearly tied.

Pictured: Popular Unity Party leader Panagiotis Lafazanis

#GREECE: PM Tsipras Resigns; Triggers New Elections To Judge Bailout Deal's Future

[world politics news]

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras resigned on Thursday, hoping to strengthen his hold on power in snap elections after seven months in office in which he fought Greece's creditors for a better bailout deal but had to cave in. Government officials said the aim was to hold the election on Sept. 20, with Tsipras seeking to crush a rebellion in his leftist Syriza party and seal public support for the bailout program, Greece's third since 2010, that he negotiated.

#SWITZERLAND: Politician Suggests Greece Give Up One Of Its 300 Islands To Settle Debts To The Swiss

[world politics news]

National Council member Pierre Rusconi has suggested that Greece sell one of its islands to Switzerland to settle its debts with the landlocked nation. Pierre Rusconi, a member of the right-wing Swiss People’s Party said Switzerland could put one of 300 islands that Greece up for sale as payment for loans, "Switzerland will probably never see again."

#GREECE: Fin. Min. Varoufakis Vows To Resign If Greeks Vote "Yes" To EU Austerity

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Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said Greece won’t "extend and pretend" that it can pay its debts, vowing to resign as finance minister if voters don’t support him in Sunday’s referendum. He said he would "prefer to cut my arm off" rather than sign an agreement without debt being restructured.

#GREECE: Country Will Default On Tuesday, Admits Gov't Official; Makes "Grexit" From Euro More Certain

[world politics news]

Greece won’t make a debt repayment to the International Monetary Fund Tuesday, a senior government official has said. The IMF has said that if payment of US$1.7 billion is not made, Greece will be immediately in default, causing a possible exit from the Eurozone and a painful economic shockwave.

Pictured: An ATM in Greece that has run out of funds.

#GREECE: Exit From Euro "Inevitable" Without Debt Deal; Greek Pols Resigned To Leaving

[world politics news]

More and more Greek politicians are resigned to a painful and difficult exit of the country from the European common currency if a deal isn't reached. Labor Minister Panos Skourletis says a deal for a new credit arrangement looks slim. Germany's EU Commissioner Guenther Oettinger says a "Grexit" is "unavoidable" without a deal by Tuesday.

#EU: Emergency Summit Of EU Foreign Mins. Called As Greek Economic Crisis Threatens EU's Future

[world politics news]

European Council Pres. Donald Tusk has called an emergency summit of nations in the Eurozone next week after Greek debt talks ended Thursday without a deal, sparking warnings of an "accident" that could push Athens out of the nations using the Euro currency if there is no breakthrough by June 30.

Pictured: European Council President Donald Tusk.

#GREECE: Finance Min. Insists #EU Won't Risk Economic Fallout From Greek Exit

[world politics news]

Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis is insisting that fellow European nations will not risk a Greek exit from the European Union despite the breakdown in debt negotiations with its creditors and a walk-out of the International Monetary Fund Thursday night.. He said fellow European nations will not be prepared to take the economic and political risk of forcing a "Grexit."