European Commission: Greek government has mandate for reforms

[BRUSSELS] Greece's likely new government has a mandate to carry out the reforms the country agreed upon with its international lenders in July, the European Commission said on Monday.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras stormed back into office with an unexpectedly decisive election victory.

Mr Tsipras and his Syriza party fell just shy of an outright majority but will form a coalition with his former partners, the small rightwing Independent Greeks party.

"It was under the leadership of Alexis Tsipras that Greece committed to an ambitious programme of reforms," a spokesman for the Commission told a regular press briefing.

"The new government will now have the mandate to carry out these reforms," he added.

REUTERS