Politics of Greece

Following another troubling day on the markets, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras accused SYRIZA on Wednesday of provoking “terror” among investors and insisted that Greeks do not want early elections, which will prompt voters to punish the leftist party if it forces snap polls to be held.

A pilot scheme to electronically tag prisoners on furlough is due to start in two months after it emerged as a compromise between authorities and anarchist Nikos Romanos, who ended his 30-day hunger strike on Wednesday after a related amendment was passed through Parliament.

Parliament on Wednesday lifted Golden Dawn lawmaker Ilias Kasidiaris’s immunity from prosecution so that he can face charges of breaking privacy laws.

Earlier this year Kasidiaris released a video of a private conversation with Panayiotis Baltakos, a close aide of Premier Antonis Samaras at the time. The house voted to lift his immunity with a majority of 219 to 238.

The Euro Working Group (EWG) approved on Wednesday Greece’s request for a two-month extension to its bailout as German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble suggested that an agreement on a precautionary credit line would not be reached until the current program has been concluded successfully.

The first of three possible parliamentary votes to elect Greece's new President will take place on Wednesday, December 17, at 7 p.m., sources have told Kathimerini.

Greek bonds extended losses on Wednesday, with yields on short-dated debt spiking sharply above longer-dated ones, as investors worried about the upcoming presidential elections that could catapult the leftist anti-bailout SYRIZA party to power.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos heads to Berlin on Wednesday for an official two-day visit.

Venizelos is scheduled to meet with German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

After Greece's government announced that it would start the process of electing a new president early, here's what the constitution says about what comes next:

As Nikos Romanos started a thirst strike Wednesday, Greek Justice Minister Haralambos Athanasiou submitted an amendment in Parliament aimed at breaking the deadlock over the 21-year-old jailed anarchist and robber.

Romanos has been on hunger strike since November 10 over authorities' refusal to grand him an educational leave to attend classes at a Greek technical college (TEI).

 Benchmark suffers biggest drop in 27 years as foreign investors rush to sell on fears of snap general election