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ATHENS - Greece's ruling conservatives won a second mandate in elections yesterday despite public anger over their reaction to deadly forest fires, but their slim majority could hamper plans for economic reforms.
Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis nevertheless voiced confidence his New Democracy Party could push through reforms.
"Today you spoke loudly, you spoke clearly," he told supporters. "You gave New Democracy a clear mandate to continue the changes, to continue the reform Greece needs."
His main rival, opposition socialist PASOK party leader George Papandreou, conceded defeat.
With about 80 per cent of the results counted, the conservative New Democracy looked set to win about 43 per cent of the vote and 154 seats in the 300-seat Parliament. Political analysts said that number might go slightly down as results from large traditional socialist strongholds came in.
A thin majority could make it hard for the next Government to tackle the difficult reforms needed to bring the euro zone's second poorest member in line with its partners.
- Reuters
