Greek left’s call to tear up bailout ‘destructive’

Greece sank deeper into crisis yesterday when the leftist candidate for prime minister set conditions for a coalition which the biggest party said would destroy the country.

Antonis Samaras, leader of the conservative New Democracy party which finished first in Sunday’s election, said Alexis Tsipras would drive Greece out of the euro with his demand that pledges made in exchange for an EU/IMF bailout be torn up.

“Mr Tsipras asked me to put my signature to the destruction of Greece. I will not do this,” Samaras said.