A radical leftist party and its 40-year-old leader swept to power Sunday in Greece, outdistancing the conservative New Democracy party led by incumbent Prime Minister Antonis Samaras.
Alexis Tsipras, the chief of the Syriza party who will be the country's youngest prime minister in 150 years, has pledged to end years of austerity polices. However, the outcome of the election likely places Greece in conflict with the European Union and international creditors.
Syriza fell just two seats in parliament short of the 151 needed to rule on its own without forming a coalition government.
Repercussions from the win by the leftist party where felt almost immediately. Asian stocks were weak Monday, and the euro fell to an 11-year low, renewing fears the European common currency bloc could unravel. EU finance ministers are meeting Monday to discuss how their shared currency will be affected by the Greek election.