Greece to hold parliamentary election on September 20th

World August 29, 2015

The president of Greece has signed a decree that dissolves parliament and sets the date for new elections on September 20th.

President Prokopis Pavlopoulos signed the decree on Friday.

The country's previous parliamentary election took place in January this year. But Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras abruptly announced his resignation earlier this month to seek a public mandate for his fiscal reform plan.

Tsipras has been facing a backlash from members of his own ruling Syriza Party after accepting austerity measures in return for a bailout from Eurozone nations. Some senior lawmakers left the party.

The government is also facing criticism from citizens. The latest poll suggests that the Coalition of the Radical Left that Tsipras leads still holds a 20 per cent approval rating, the highest among all parties.

But the poll also suggests that New Democracy, which was the largest opposition party, is catching up in popularity.

Analysts say attention will be focused on whether the elections will help Tsipras boost his leadership to carry out structural reforms as a prerequisite for the new bailout.

Greece to hold parliamentary election on Sep. 20th - News - NHK WORLD - English