Greece’s campaign for the September 20 general election entered its final stretch this week with polls showing the outcome too close to call between the two frontrunners, the leftist SYRIZA party of former prime minister Alexis Tsipras, and the New Democracy (ND) conservatives, led by Vangelis Meimarakis. Both are running neck-and-neck in the surveys, short of parliamentary majority.

The two leaders clashed yesterday (Sept. 14) in a live televised debate seeking the elusive soundbite that might break a deadlock in opinion polls and to convince thousands of undecided voters that their party is more capable than the other to lead Greece’s next government.

Tsipras expressed certainty that Greece will have a government the day after elections, as he believed that SYRIZA would win an overall majority; otherwise, he would be prepared to form a "progressive" coalition, ruling out an "unnatural" alliance with New Democracy. He cited radical differences between the two parties, stressing that there may be "either a progressive or a conservative government".

Meimarakis, struck a different tone, saying he wanted cooperation and to reach agreement on common policy with Tsipras, with each party retaining its independence. He proposed the creation of a "national team" after the elections to plan a way forward for the country, intending to use, if elected, many capable and worthy personalities across the political spectrum, including members of the caretaker government as well as the previous SYRIZA government.