Athens  – Greece’s main opposition Socialist PASOK party claimed victory over the ruling New Democracy Party Sunday in European elections, over its failure to reign in corruption and deal with the economic crisis.

The vote which handed victory to the Socialists with 60.88 per cent of the votes counted is expected to increase the main opposition calls for early national elections normally set for 2011.

Results will also further hamper government efforts to face the global crisis as it clings to a one-seat majority.

“The result is a hope for a new start,” said Socialist PASOK party leader Giorgos Papandreou.

With 60.88 per cent of the votes counted, the Socialists received 36.31 per cent, or 8 seats, in the European Parliament, while the ruling conservative New Democracy Party won 33.4 per cent for 7 to 8 seats.

In the last European elections in 2004, New Democracy came out ahead with 43 per cent of the vote, ahead of PASOK by 9 per cent.

The recent economic downturn, which was accompanied by street riots and strikes, as well as other recent scandals have put the ruling New Democracy Party at a disadvantage against the Socialists.

“The election result does not please us,” Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis said. “Many of our voters sent us a clear message, namely by not voting.

Despite sweeping to power in 2004 with promises to end decades of Socialist corruption, the conservatives soon faced a number of scandals of their own.

A recent case involving Siemens in implications of large-scale corruption, bribery and money-laundering over a 1990s state telecoms contract has led to public outrage.

Other controversies included a property swap deal with an Orthodox monastery which allegedly cost taxpayers millions, and revelations that a former merchant marine minister accepted bribes from a shipping company to secure sea routes.

Voters showed their discontent not only with the government but with the entire political system by selecting smaller parties or abstaining, with a record 52 per cent of voters having stayed away despite the fact that voting in mandatory in Greece.

The Communist Party of Greece gathered 8 per cent of the votes, closely followed by the right-wing Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) with 7.02 per cent.

LAOS, whose pre-election campaign was based largely on immigration quotas, had garnered 4.12 per cent of the vote and for seat in the 2004 European Parliament elections.

Other parties with at least one of 22 seats in this year’s vote included the left-wing party Synasprismos, with 4.60 per cent, and the Green Ecologists, with 3.39 per cent. It was the first time the Green Ecologists will have a seat in the European Parliament. (dpa)