Testing times ahead for new Greek government

Syriza had run on a campaign of renegotiating the country’s €240bn international bailout deal, and pledged to reverse many of the reforms pushed through to qualify for the rescue loans that have kept Greece financially afloat for the past four years.

The anti-bailout rhetoric has renewed fears of Greece’s ability definitively to emerge from its financial crisis that saw a quarter of its economy wiped out, sent unemployment soaring and hammered the euro, the currency shared by 19 European countries.

The country’s creditors insist Greece must abide by its commitments to continue receiving support, and investors and markets alike have been spooked by the anti-bailout rhetoric.