Feature: Greek general polls close in, voters anxious for day after

With only a few days left ahead of Sunday's critical general elections in Greece, voters are concerned about the day after the ballot.

Although the main opposition radical left SYRIZA party leads over the ruling conservative New Democracy (ND) party in all the latest opinion surveys, the 10 percent of the Greeks who are still undecided is expected to decide the outcome of the ballot box.

The ND has pledged gradual tax relief measures and development-boosting policies for post-bailout Greece, while SYRIZA has promised to re-negotiate the national debt to make it viable and reach new agreements with creditors and investors to support economic growth.

After six years of recession and five years of debt crisis, the Greeks have seen their incomes dramatically squeezed due to rounds of high taxation, salary and pension cutbacks, and high rates of unemployment.

Those who can no longer pay outstanding tax debts are facing foreclosures and auctions of their properties. Meanwhile the black economy and tax evasion are still running rampant, according to analysts.

"Greek people are exhausted by the austerity measures governments have implemented in recent years," Mika, a 31-year old editor who gives only her first name, told Xinhua.

But how do they see the elections?

"The general polls this time could bring several surprises and a different political landscape, since the undecided will define the final result," Mika explained.

She is not pessimistic, as the majority of Greeks are at this period. She believes that "in the end we will make it through, but it will take more time and pain regardless of who is ruling the country."

Although no Greek political party expresses her entirely, she will vote for New Democracy on Sunday.

"As the 'Grexit' debate resurfaced following the unsuccessful presidential elections last December, I think that ND has a clear European political approach and can guarantee that Greece will remain in the euro zone," she argued.

If SYRIZA assumes power, Mika is anxious about the possibility of a default and Grexit.

On the other hand, 26-year-old Evgenia, who lives in Athens and works as a PR agent, wants to see a radical change in Greece and therefore will vote for SYRIZA.

She dismisses scenarios of Grexit and bankruptcy.

"SYRIZA's election program focuses on relief measures for austerity-hit Greeks, in particular for the unemployed people, pensioners, etc. For sure SYRIZA cannot turn things upside down, but I hope that this party, if it eventually comes to power for the first time next Monday, will try harder than New Democracy that ruled Greece for years," she stated to Xinhua.

She was worried about the anti-European views some party members expressed in the past, but believes that an exit from euro zone is not visible.

She still feels nervous about the prolonged uncertainty, the vague pre-election promises and the leading actors.

"It is like a sci-fi scenario. I am curious to see what will happen in this country in the next months and years," she said.

Mika and Evgenia will vote for different political parties, but they share the same fears along with their friends -- the ghost of unemployment, uncertainty for the future and nihilism.

"I learnt to compromise with less and be happy under these tough circumstances. Unfortunately our generation, including myself, is forced to make discounts in every aspect of our lives," Mika said.

Before the start of the crisis she used to travel abroad often to see her sister in the United States. After a string of salary cuts today she has reduced expenses for travelling and entertainment.

Today she is counting each euro to make ends meet every month, but she doesn't complain. She is determined to keep up the hard work, stay in Greece instead of joining her sister abroad, as thousands of young Greeks do in recent years, and to overcome any difficulty.

For Evgenia it was difficult to find a job for several months, even though she has a Master of Art in Cultural Management. With one out of four Greeks jobless for more than a year, she considers herself quite lucky that she eventually found any kind of employment.

She finds an exit from the daily routine doing things that she loves like studying and getting more experience for the career she still dreams about.

"Now that I have entered the labor market, the circumstances are unfair with low wages and no social security insurance. They believe that they will boost competitiveness this way. Instead they have led hundreds of thousands of people to poverty and despair. But, I try to keep my optimism and dream about a better future," she told Xinhua. Endit