Courtesy of Mish.
As late as yesterday I read numerous mainstream media reports that Syriza would win by three to five percent and would need to form an unstable coalition to rule.
In contrast, here was my January 19 prediction (and rationale): Expect a Blowout Win by Syriza in Greece.
Syriza Trounces New Democracy
The final votes are not counted, but exit polls show a blowout, with incumbent party New Democracy going down in flames.
The Wall Street Journal reports Greece’s Radical Leftist Syriza Party Poised to Win Election, Exit Polls Say.
Syriza appeared set to win between 35.5% and 39.5% of the vote, trouncing the incumbent New Democracy party, which managed to secure just 23% to 27% of the vote, according to the exit polls whose results were issued immediately after voting booths closed.
If Syriza is able to secure more than 150 seats on its own—which the exit polls show is possible—it won’t need coalition partners and will have a freer hand in implementing its platform—something that could lead to ruptures with Greece’s creditors.
The polls also showed that voters backed a handful of smaller parties—ranging from the extreme-right Golden Dawn party to the centrist To Potami party—making it unclear whether Syriza would win an absolute majority in Greece’s 300-seat legislature. According to the polls, Syriza was projected to secure between 146 to 158 seats, depending on the final outcome.
Greece Exit Polls
Note the double-digit (or near double-digit) trouncing of New Democracy leader and current prime minister Antonis Samaras.
Here’s an interesting quote from the Journal.
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