Prime Minister Antonis Samaras was very specific when he said that "elections will be held in June 2016, at the end of the four-year parliamentary term" in an interview with Reuters on October 17, after participating in the meeting of European and Asian leaders in Milan.

The premier said that Greece would ride out market doubts about whether it can survive without international support, telling Reuters he can lead his country out of a four-year bailout and not call early elections.

He reiterated that the government was talking with its lenders about what should happen if Greece succeeds in leaving its bailout programme by the end of December, a year ahead of schedule, as Greek officials hope. He sees one option as a credit line that Athens could tap post-bailout, should it fall prey to future market turmoil.