VOTERS trudged to the polls yesterday in the second general election this year to elect a new government to implement the latest three-year bankers’ bailout imposed in the summer by international creditors.

There was little enthusiasm and passion because both apparent frontrunners, the Syriza party of former prime minister Alexis Tsipras and the conservative New Democracy party led by Evangelos Meimarakis, are committed to punishing austerity.

Several smaller parties take a similar stance, believing against experience that continued EU membership will bring economic salvation.

Syriza won the January 25 election on an anti-austerity platform. But Mr Tsipras has since surrendered to the creditors’ demands.

He resigned following a party rift over the betrayal, triggering the election.

Mr Tsipras has tried to woo voters this time by pledging to do his utmost to ease the pain of the latest austerity.

Greece’s unemployment rate has been stuck at about 25 per cent for three years, with twice as many young people out of work.