Bailout

A man, holding his dog, casts a vote during Greece's snap election Sunday. It is the first general election since their country emerged from three successive international bailouts but still struggles with a crippling nearly decade-long financial crisis. [EPA]

Greeks were voting on July 7 in the first parliamentary election since their country emerged from three successive international bailouts still struggling with a crippling nearly decade-long financial crisis.

Still struggling to exit a decade of financial crisis, bailouts and harsh service cutbacks, Greece finds itself at a political turning point.

An early general election on Sunday was initiated by the country's prime minister after his left-wing party fared badly in May's European Union elections. Polls forecast the election returning Greece's largest conservative party to power.

Greek private sector bank deposits rose in May for the third successive month, central bank data showed on Monday.

Businesses and household deposits increased to 135.28 billion euros ($153.20 billion) from 134.69 billion in April, Bank of Greece data showed.

In a general election we elect a government. This common knowledge is apparently not so obvious to everyone and certainly not to the leadership of the Movement for Change (KINAL), which seems to be disregarding the question of who will run the country, postponing it until after the elections.

Commenting on a Greek government amendment to overturn a scheduled lowering of the tax-free threshold for income which is set to be voted in Parliament later Friday, an unnamed Commission official has told Skai that "Greece must stick to agreed targets."

Greek tax cuts and bonuses for pensioners announced last month pose a risk to fiscal targets agreed with eurozone lenders, the European Commission said on Wednesday in a blow to the Greek government ahead of elections next month.

Greek tax cuts and bonuses for pensioners announced last month pose a risk to fiscal targets agreed with eurozone lenders, the European Commission said on Wednesday in a blow to the Greek government ahead of elections next month.

Greek private sector bank deposits rose in April for the second successive month, central bank data showed on Tuesday.

Businesses and household deposits increased to 134.69 billion euros ($150.61 billion) from a downwardly revised 133.28 billion in March, Bank of Greece data showed.

After Sunday's elections, the government has one week to form the strategy it will pursue in its negotiations with the eurozone creditors, as June 3, when the Euro Working Group convenes, will mark the beginning of a testing time in relations between Athens and its lenders.