New Democracy

Greeks were voting Jan. 25 in an early general election crucial for the country's financial future, with the radical left Syriza party of Alexis Tsipras tipped as the favorite to win, although possibly without a large enough majority to form a government.
     

Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is expected to deliver a national address at 4 p.m. ahead of Sunday's election, the government said in a statement.

In the final days of election campaigning, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and his campaign team are to redouble efforts to boost languishing morale among conservative supporters while also trying to win round undecided voters.

New Democracy

Founded: 1974
Leader: Antonis Samaras

With just a few days to go before critical snap elections, the two main parties are battling for undecided voters and the center ground, with Prime Minister Antonis Samaras expected to emphasize the risks of a SYRIZA government in campaign speeches Wednesday.

A new bill on the assessment of civil servants was put to public consultation on Tuesday.

The review period is due to last until February 10.

The new evaluation process will form the basis for future hiring, salary and transfer decisions.

By Lefteris Papadimas & Deepa Babington

Former Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou says his newly-formed party is open to an alliance with election frontrunner SYRIZA as long as it agrees to hold a referendum on reform policies after Sunday's election.

Greece's leftist anti-bailout opposition party Syriza is maintaining a steady lead over the ruling New Democracy party of Prime Antonis Samaras less than two weeks before the snap vote on January 25, opinion polls have shown.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Thursday cast New Democracy as a Europe-oriented party, following leftist SYRIZA?s overture toward the Communist Party (KKE), as the conservative pre-election campaign shifts its focus to the center ground and undecided voters.

On a lightning visit to Athens on Wednesday, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy expressed support for his Greek counterpart Antonis Samaras and defended the tough economic program the outgoing government has been pursuing under the supervision of foreign creditors, saying the reforms were ?necessary? and had ?produced results,? advising Greeks to ignore ?impossible? promises.