Spain's Rajoy backs Greek reforms ahead of poll, as countries face challenge from Left

Greece's Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, right, and Spanish counterpart Mariano Rajoy leave Maximos Mansion after their meeting in Athens on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015. Rajoy is in Greece to express support for the country’s draconian bailout program, ahead of a general election that could see his fellow conservatives lose power to leftwing challengers. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) (The Associated Press)

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Greece's Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, centre left, welcomes his Spanish counterpart Mariano Rajoy at the Maximos Mansion in Athens on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015. Rajoy is in Greece to express support for the country’s draconian bailout program, ahead of a general election that could see his fellow conservatives lose power to leftwing challengers. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) (The Associated Press)

An electrician adjusts a spotlight over a photograph of the opposition leader Alexis Tsipras at the election kiosk of the anti-bailout Syriza party, in central Athens, on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015. Samaras' New Democracy party is facing elections on Jan. 25 and trailing in opinion polls to the leftwing Syriza party, which is demanding that at least half of the Greece's 240 billion euro ($283 billion) bailout loans be forgiven. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) (The Associated Press)

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is in Greece to express support for the country's tough bailout program, ahead of a general election here that could see his fellow conservatives lose power to leftwing challengers.

Rajoy on Wednesday met conservative Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, and said cost cutting reforms in Greece and Spain were "bearing fruit."

Samaras' New Democracy party is facing elections on Jan. 25 and trailing in opinion polls to the leftwing Syriza party, which is demanding that at least half of the Greece's 240 billion euro ($283 billion) bailout loans be forgiven.

Rajoy, who also faces general elections as early as this year, is likewise seeing a challenge from an increasingly popular leftwing radical party, Podemos.

https://www.foxnews.com/world/spains-rajoy-backs-greek-reforms-ahead-of-poll-as-countries-face-challenge-from-left