Greek Poll: PM Warns Of Election 'Catastrophe'

The Greek prime minister has urged voters not to take the country to the "brink of catastrophe" in this weekend's general election.

Antonis Samaras told the final campaign rally of his centre-right New Democracy party that he had little choice to enforce austerity because the "ship was sinking".

Starting in 2010, Greece agreed to make drastic cuts to public spending and increase taxes in order to unlock two successive bailouts, totalling €240bn (£179bn).

As the Greek electorate enters a "day of reflection" to consider the wide array of parties on offer, the front-runner, the radical left group called Syriza, has extended its lead in the polls.

Forty-year-old leader Alexis Tsipras has said he wants to end the tough bailout conditions , which he argues have locked the country into a straitjacket of debt, unemployment and stagnation.

His opponents counter by saying the policies have spurred the country to a primary budget surplus and a slow return to growth.

It's still difficult convincing many Greeks though, as youth unemployment is running at almost 60%, with general unemployment over 27%.

The election has wide-ranging implications for the rest of the Eurozone.

If Mr Tsipras is able to win a simple majority he will be able to take a much stronger stand with Greece's creditors.

That would be tempered if he had to govern in a coalition with more centrist, pro-European parties.

He has said he wants to stay within the Euro, but his critics warn that if he's too tough in his negotiation, the so-called troika of the European Central Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the European Union may withdraw their support.

That could lead to a debt default and a so-called "Grexit", or departure from the single currency.

Syriza's hand will be determined by the dynamics of the electoral system.

The 300 seats in the Greek parliament are handed out according to proportional representation, with the most popular party securing a 50 seat bonus.

To enter the chamber, parties have to achieve a 3% share of the total vote. Polls suggest seven parties may achieve that on Sunday.

The more support that goes to the smaller parties the more Syriza's chance of an overall majority are diminished.

That's an outcome which will be watched with interest across Europe and by those with their hands on the levers of the world's economy.