Kratko nakon poraza konzervativne stranke Nova demokratija na prijevremenim izborima u oktobru prošle godine, nova PASOK-ova vlada lijevog centra objelodanila je da će se budžetski deficit za 2009. naglo povisiti do 12,7% BDP-a, više od četverostrukog iznosa plafona EU od 3%.
Shortly after defeating the conservative New Democracy party in the country's snap elections last October, the new centre-left PASOK government revealed that the 2009 budget deficit would soar to 12.7% of GDP, more than four times the 3% EU ceiling.