With 70 media representatives accredited and two political leaders present during the pre-election period (Mariano Rajoy and Pablo Iglesias), Spain followed the political developments in real time and up close.

The 2015 Elections Press Center of the General Secretariat for Communication and Promotion was hosted at the Zappeion Conference Centre, the same venue which served as the headquarters of Greece’s presidency in the Council of the European Union during 2014.

To read more, please visit greeknewsagenda.gr

George Papandreou’s Movement of Democratic Socialists (Kinima) appeared set to miss out on a place in Parliament as it was under the 3 percent threshold for gaining seats, with 2.4 percent.

This means that SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras is likely to receive a three-day exploratory mandate from President Karolos Papoulias on Monday. If Tsipras cannot form a government, the mandate will pass to New Democracy for three days and then the third party for another three. However, as SYRIZA receives a 50-seat bonus for coming first, the other parties will not have enough seats to create a majority coalition and second elections would be needed, as in 2012.

To read more, please visit ekathimerini.com

According to EMY the west, east and southern party of the country will experience rainfall and occasional storms, while the rest of the country will see overcast skies with sporadic showers. Mountainous regions may see localized snowfall.

The westerly winds will be strong, measuring between 20 and 50 Km/h in most parts of the country. In the eastern parts of the country, particularly in the Aegean, the south southwesterly winds may exceed 70 Km/h.

To read more, please visit tovima.gr/en

We therefore urge the troika (EU, European Centra Bank and IMF) to negotiate in good faith with the Greek government so that there is a cancellation of a large part of the debt and new terms of payment which support the rebuilding of a sustainable economy. This settlement should mark the beginning of a new EU-wide policy framework favouring pro-growth rather than deflationary policies (Report, 14 January).

We urge the Greek government to abandon the austerity programme that is crushing economic activity and adopt a more expansive fiscal policy setting, targeting immediate relief from poverty and stimulating further domestic demand; to launch a fully independent investigation into the historic and systemic failure of the Greek public financial management processes (including any evidence of corruption) that led to the accumulation of debt, the disguising of the size and nature of the debt and the inefficient/ineffective use of public funds; and to consider the establishment of a judicial body or alternative mechanism that is independent of government and charged with a future responsibility of investigating corruption from the highest to lowest levels of government.

To read more, please visit theguardian.com

Meanwhile, ahead of a crucial European Central Bank meeting where a bond-buying program and emergency liquidity assistance (ELA) for banks are to be discussed, Samaras said he had spoken with ECB President Mario Draghi.

“My chief concern is the bolstering of the banking system and of the economy,” Samaras said, referring to the request by Greece’s systemic banks to be granted ELA access.

Following appearances in eastern Attica and the southern coastal suburbs of Athens Tuesday, Samaras is due in Thessaloniki Wednesday, where he is to stress the pivotal nature of the pending elections for the country’s course in Europe.

The remainder of New Democracy’s campaign is to focus on the “Samaras versus Tsipras dilemma,” sources indicated Tuesday, referring to SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras. ND party secretary Andreas Papamimikos Tuesday appealed to “people of the reformist center” who, he said, “must realize that there is no leeway for third or neutral votes.” “These elections are all about who is going to come first,” he said.

To read more, please visit ekathimerini.com

In a speech before the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry last night, Samaras said an ND administration would gradually reduce the corporate tax rate to 15 percent from 25 percent and scale back a unified property tax (ENFIA), starting with a 7 percent cut this year.

He lashed out at SYRIZA for a lack of clarity on tax pledges – he claimed the leftists would impose a “barrage of taxes” despite their claims to the contrary – and slammed the party’s plans to rehire sacked civil servants and reverse privatizations.

SYRIZA officials, for their part, insisted the party would introduce a fair tax system and crack down on large-scale evaders along with corruption.

Meanwhile, amid speculation about potential alliances, PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos told Italian newspaper La Stampa he could work with SYRIZA’s leader. “Tsipras is like Harry Potter but if necessary we will cooperate with them,” he said.

To read more, please visit ekathimerini.com

There’s a 15% chance Greece will leave the 19-nation currency union if Tsipras forms a coalition government with one of the centrist parties, the Bloomberg survey shows. That compares with 5% under an alliance led by New Democracy.

The risk increases to 20% if SYRIZA gets an overall majority, compared with 5% under a New Democracy majority, the poll shows.

A victory for Tsipras, either alone or in coalition, would result in debt relief for Greece, according to 87% of those polled, while 57% said the same of a Samaras victory.

“Compromise is not as hard as it looks,” said Alan McQuaid, chief economist at Merrion Capital in Dublin. “SYRIZA does not have a democratic mandate to take Greece out of the single currency. It may have to form a coalition to govern, requiring compromise even on its flagship policy. And Europe can give.”

To read more, please visit thetoc.gr/eng

As far as the new hydroplane routes and the prospect of foreign investments, Charalambous noted that “Greece can become a Maldives in Europe. It is a destination tourists from across the world want to visit. Investments in tourism will not stop, whether we remain in the Eurozone or return to the drachma. What is required is to project the right image to the rest of the world. Efforts made to attract foreign investments should not stop every time we have political developments.”

Regarding the cost of transportation, travel by seaplane will not be very expensive. For a half hour route, for example from Athens to Serifos, or Kos to Naxos, or Rhodes to Sitia, tickets are estimated at 75-80 euros. For a similar trip by conventional means of transportation, one should calculate costs to and from the airport, i.e. 35 euros to El. Venizelos airport, 22 euros from the Kos airport to the city of Kos, or 20 euros to Rhodes Airport.

To read more, please visit greekreporter.com

By Philip Chrysopoulos