Greek election move rattles investors
Greece's prime minister moves presidential election forward, hoping it will help his candidate and policies.
Greece’s Prime Minister Antonis Samaras spooked investors on Thursday. Greek lawmakers had been due to vote in a new president in February but Samaras moved the vote forward in an attempt to force parliament to back his candidate for the presidency and, in turn, his pro-austerity policies. It’s a big gamble: If Samaras loses that vote, it could trigger a general election, which he would likely lose. The victor – according to the opinion polls – could be the left-wing, anti-austerity Syriza party. That outcome would raise fears about Greece repaying its debts. And it could once again re-ignite a wider crisis of confidence in the euro.