Greek government-debt crisis

Greece's radical leftist SYRIZA party led the ruling conservatives by 3.1 percentage points in an opinion poll conducted after it became clear that a snap election would be called, the pollster Rass said on Saturday.

The last time I saw George Papandreou was here in Istanbul exactly two years ago. He had come to Turkey to be a guest speaker at the annual meeting of the Global Relations Forum (GRF) and delivered a speech in the offices of Rumvader, the association of Greek-Orthodox foundations, in the vicinity of Aghia Triada Church in Taksim.

The German government believes that a Greek exit from the eurozone will be manageable, should it prove necessary, according to news magazine Der Spiegel.

The German government believes that the euro zone would now be able to cope with a Greece exit if that proved to be necessary, Der Spiegel news magazine reported on Saturday, citing unnamed government sources.

Former Prime Minister George Papandreou launched his new party on Saturday, as current Deputy Prime Minister and PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos insisted that his party would play a pivotal role in political developments after the January 25 elections.

Greece will auction six-month treasury bills on Wednesday to raise 1.25 billion euros, as part of its regular monthly issues, the Public Debt Management Agency (PDMA) said last Friday.

The settlement date for the auction will be this Friday. Only primary dealers will be allowed to participate and no commission will be paid.

 Minister expects 2015 to cover losses and see prices soar once uncertainty ends in three weeks’ time

Finance Minister Gikas Hardouvelis expressed on Friday optimism that 2015 will bring considerable gains for the Greek stock market if the country remains committed to consistency and stability. However, he warned that forfeiting obligations will mean a eurozone exit.

Former Prime Minister George Papandreou is due to announce Saturday afternoon the creation of a new party, which he will lead and which will take part in the January 25 elections, much to the annoyance of PASOK leader and Deputy Premier Evangelos Venizelos.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras accused SYRIZA on Friday of preparing to make unilateral moves that would spark a Greek default if it comes to power, as the opposition party tried to distance itself from suggestions by one of its own MPs that it might stop repaying the country’s debt.

Former Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou announced the creation of a new political party on Jan. 2, confirming a long-expected split from the centre-left PASOK and complicating the potential outcome of this month's general election.