Greece ‘s elections – Greece votes for new government

Greece Elections

Greeks vote today, sunday, to most likely produce a change in the government.

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, 53, and opposition leader George Papandreou, 57, are both scions of political families are the two leading candidates in the elections today, 04 October 2009.

Papandreou has hammered Karamanlis’ economic record, accusing him of squandering an opportunity for growth after the 2004 Athens Olympics, cutting back on public investment and letting public debt grow unchecked. He has proposed a stimulus package to jump-start the economy, instead of Karamanlis’ freeze of spending and wages.

The sight of anarchists rampaging through the capital and other cities, smashing shops and banks with no police intervention, shook the faith of many conservatives in Karamanlis.

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis is promising belt- tightening measures to deal with burgeoning public debt and an impending recession.