Seven months of governance by the anti-austerity radical left Syriza – though psychologically uplifting for a large segment of the population – was a rollercoaster of bustups and blustering that left Athens' relations with its EU partners close to rock bottom.
Now, the official said, "with this albatross gone, it gives the government a chance to address other issues, previously taboo among the left, like relations with America and how to balance security with civil liberties".
South Korean brethren have other things on their minds the political left wants better relations with the North, while others just wish it was not there.
Appealing to the centre-left, and enjoying good relations with trade unions, he took 38% of the vote to 56% for Mr Papandreou.
His treatment of the unionists was typical of his hard line anti-communist beliefs and as such his relations with left-wing governments were tense.
Obama's trip, winding up later on Thursday, is part of a wider effort to deepen ties and bolster U.S. influence with Latin America after years of frosty relations with left-leaning governments in the region.
He upheld the right of workers to form unions and improved relations with left-wing groups, once declaring that "I wouldn't know a Red if I saw one, and wouldn't do anything about it if I did".
Mr. Han, he said, has made "a minimum of political enemies, because he is a man of moderation who maintains good relations with the left, right and center.
The latest poll, taken just after the Danish vote, suggests that only 31% of the Swedes, the lowest figure ever, would say yes, while 42% would say no.Mr Persson is mindful, too, that a full-blooded debate on the euro could damage relations with the Left and with the Greens; both parties co-operate with the Social Democrats in parliament, and both are euro-sceptical.
By having Nato on their side, they forfeited any support from the hard left – now oddly in deep fraternal relations with those who reflexively see Serbia as the victim of an imperialist plot.
