"Unrealistic to expect Greece to repay debt"

"Unrealistic to expect Greece to repay debt"

He added that EU leaders needed now to show that they were willing to work with Syriza.

"It's going to be a very funny and a very dangerous Europe with very strong centrifugal political forces if they signal that after a democratic vote they're not interested in talking to a new government. It will be a final signal that this is a Europe that can't incorporate democratic change and it can't incorporate social change," he said.

Tsakalotos also stressed that it would be "his worst nightmare" if the eurozone collapses because Greece falls.

"And if Greece falls and is removed from the eurozone - the eurozone will collapse. We said from the beginning the eurozone is in danger, the euro is in danger, but it isn't in danger from Syriza... it is in danger from the very policies of austerity".

The BBC reported that the far-left Syriza wants to renegotiate Greece's EUR 240bn bailout, but that EU leaders have warned the new government "it must live up to its commitments to the creditors."