Merkel says Europe will not be 'held hostage' by Greece

Angela Merkel

German chancellor Angela Merkel today said it was important that Greece elects a government that will honour the terms of bailout agreements with international lenders.

"It is very important that - in the Greek election tomorrow -- the result is the formation of a government that will say, ok, we'll stick to the agreements," Dr Merkel said at a rally of her Christian Democratic Union in Darmstadt.

Honoring agreements is "the only basis on which Europe can thrive," she added.

Greece goes to the polls tomorrow in an election that may determine whether the country becomes the first member of the euro zone to leave the single currency.

A May 6th ballot that boosted parties opposed to austerity measures failed to yield a government. The leader of the leftist Syriza party Alexis Tsipras, who promises to renege on Greece's end of the bailout deal, and New Democracy ran even in final opinion polls.

Read more: Merkel says Europe will not be 'held hostage' by Greece - The Irish Times - Sat, Jun 16, 2012