Greek Look to Socialist, Evangelos Venizelos, to Form Government
Niki Kitsantonis
The Socialist leader, Evangelos Venizelos, the third party chief to try to form a coalition, said he might be able to find common ground with the leader of the moderate Democratic Left Party.
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ATHENS — With Greece still rudderless after inconclusive elections, the leader of the Socialist Party indicated on Thursday that he might be able to establish common ground with the leader of the moderate Democratic Left Party and try to form a government that would extricate the country from a deepening political crisis that has angered its foreign creditors and roiled global markets.

Speaking a few hours after he received a presidential mandate to form a government, Evangelos Venizelos, the leader of the Socialist Party and the third politician to be given the opportunity this week, said that his proposal for a unity government was aimed at helping Greece “move beyond” its $170 billion loan deal signed in February with foreign creditors and remain in the euro zone. He said it was virtually identical to the plan of the Democratic Left leader, Fotis Kouvelis.

“This is a good omen,” Mr. Venizelos said. He added that he would continue talks on Friday with the leader of the conservative New Democracy, Antonis Samaras, whose party placed first in the elections, and Alexis Tsipras, the leader of the Coalition of the Radical Left, known as Syriza, which beat the Socialists to clinch second place but failed to form a government in talks earlier this week.