Greece vote delivers austerity verdict The politicians who got us into this mess continue to mock us. Neither of them will do anything, all they are interested in is pulling the wool over our eyes so they can get into power again," said Yiorgos Vrassidis, 55, after casting his vote at a "Voting for them would be like committing national suicide." He opted for the anti-austerity Syriza, an acronym for Coalition of the Radical Left, which shocked political observers by heading for second place. Three years ago it received just a few percent. Alexis Tsipras, its telegenic 40-year-old leader, has called the terms of the bailout "barbaric" and wants to lead a Leftwing government that would include KKE, the Communist Party of Greece. He has vowed to suspend the servicing of Greece's debt and to add a "pro-growth clause" to the repayment deal. "The Greek people are ready to turn a page and after two years of repression we will try to lead the country united on a new course," he said after voting. Independent Greeks, a nationalist party formed just two months ago as a splinter group from New Democracy, was forecast to reach double figures after calling the bailout an "economic Fourth Reich." Ultra-Right party Golden Dawn was on course to enter the 300-member parliament for the first time under the proportional representation system, with six to eight per cent. It played on fears of national decline and rising crime blamed on a growing illegal immigrant population. Whatever government comes next is likely to seek changes to the understanding between Greece and its creditors. Anthonis Samaras, New Democracy's leader and the man most likely, albeit tenuously, to be the next prime minister, has also called for the terms of the bailout to be eased. He has expressed confidence that support for less austerity and more "pro-growth" measures is spreading across Europe. "The Greek economy has multi-organ failure but the wrong medicine has been prescribed," said Dimitri Tsmocos, an economic adviser to Mr Samaras. Stressing that New Democracy is pro-privatisation and favours greater deregulation of the economy, he said the current "policy mix was wrong." Hikes in corporation tax and VAT needed to be lowered to encourage investment, while the approach to government budgets should be that of a "surgeon and not a butcher," he added. The remedy imposed on Greece by the EU has seen numerous indirect taxes raised sharply, while government pensions and wages have been slashed by up to 40 per cent. Unemployment has soared to 22 per cent, while young people are emigrating in their droves to escape jobless rates of 52 per cent. Athenians are deserting the city for the countryside in search of a simpler and cheaper life. Many Greeks would like to see the interest rates Greece must pay lowered and a switch in focus from public sector cuts to tax evasion by the rich. Yianna Kiritsi, who was made redundant 18 months ago, said: "I want Greek people to decide for themselves, not the troika to decide for us. They make decisions for everybody. We are not allowed to take decisions. Greeks routinely and derisively refer to the EU, International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank which imposed the debt terms as "the troika." Dimitris Davos, a Communist voter, said: "We have to restore our dignity and national sovereignty. This election in Greece will send a strong message from the south of Europe to the rest that we can't take any more pain. We need to be rid of these loan sharks and bankers. Amid the rage against the European machine and their own politicians, there is a however awareness among ordinary Greeks that they tolerated a paternalistic and eventually unaffordable system of government largesse. "For a long time we had no appreciation of productivity and sound economic values," said Adonis Pettas, an Athens dentist. The major parties and the public operated a bargain which has proved disastrous in the long run, he added. There is a huge black economy which the politicians turned a blind eye to as long as we voted for them. This election is just a temporary solution. Pasok has exhausted what it can do for this society, so something has to be created in its place," he said.