Parliamentary polls open in Greece

As Greek citizens today vote in parliamentary polls, neither the socialist Pasok party and conservative New Democracy are expected to gain enough votes to form a government.

The two parties who have been alternating in power for the last 38 years, are expected to lose support to anti-austerity candidates.

The two mainstream parties have been in coalition since last November are both expected to lose support as the Greeks have opposed the austerity measures imposed by the government in exchange for international bailout funds.

On the other hand, the ability of any new government to carry on with the austerity programme will be crucial for Greece's continued access to bailout funds from the EU, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

Failure to do so, and political instability, may prompt fresh questions over the country's position in the Eurozone.

According to BBC, many Greeks hope that pressure from the EU may be relaxed if French Socialist presidential candidate Francois Hollande becomes France's new president.

Hollande has already voiced his skepticism over austerity. New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras is expected to come in first, thereby benefiting from a bonus 50 seats in the 300-member parliament.

But, even with that, he would fall far short of the 151 seats needed to form a government.