Moment of truth for Greece: Venizelos

Greek political leaders ignored a final plea from the president to form a coalition government to avert a repeat election, pushing the debt-stricken nation closer to bankruptcy and a possible exit from the eurozone.

Leaders of the three biggest parties met at the presidential mansion for a final attempt to bridge their differences, but the talks quickly hit an impasse as they traded accusations on a deeply unpopular bailout package tied to harsh spending cuts.

Conservative leader Antonis Samaras, who finished first in last week’s election, pinned the blame on the far-left Syriza party, which flatly rules out backing a pro-bailout coalition with Samaras’s New Democracy and Socialist Pasok parties.