In Greece the key radical leftist party Syriza refused to join a pro-austerity coalition with the socialists

the key radical leftist party Syriza refused to join a pro-austerity coalition with the socialists and conservatives, paving the way for weekend talks hosted by the president to try to stitch together an emergency unity government.

The latest twist in the tortuous political drama came as EU paymaster Germany threatened to cut off the country’s loan lifeline and hinted that the crisis-ridden eurozone could get along without Greece.

Venizelos was the third party leader who tried and failed to cobble together a government after inconclusive elections on Sunday that saw a backlash against painful austerity measures which have triggered sometimes violent protests.

Venizelos had been hoping to win the support of Syriza, a party deeply opposed to the terms of the 240 billion euro (311 billion dollar) EU-IMF bailout and which surged to second place in Sunday’s vote.

“It is not Syriza which is rejecting (joining a coalition with the socialists and conservatives) but it is the verdict of the people of Greece,” said party chief Alexis Tsipras.

Earlier, another possible ally, the small Democratic Left party, said it would not join a government made up of only Pasok and the conservative New Democracy party that did not include Syriza.

Sources:
The Raw Story
 Zimbio
cnn.com