Riots put pressure on Greek government

ATHENS (Reuters) - Rioting by youngsters angered by poor economic prospects and political scandals could soon threaten the survival of Greece's conservative government.

Clashes broke out in Athens and other Greek cities after police shot dead a teenager in the capital's volatile Exarchia neighborhood on Saturday, but political analysts and sociologists say the roots of the protests lie far deeper.

"The riots started because of the killing, but it was just the cherry on the cake: the problem is the government's economic policy, the scandals, its apathy," Takis Kafetzis, professor of politics at the University of the Peloponnese.

This week could be decisive, with the ruling New Democracy party clinging to a one-seat majority in parliament and trade unions preparing for a 24-hour general strike on Wednesday against pension reform, privatizations and the cost of living.

"If we have riots again, and we see Athens burn again, we cannot rule out (early) elections," Kafetzis said.

After a decade-long economic boom in the European Union member state of about 11 million people, Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis' government faces increasing problems during the global economic crisis.

Economists forecast annual economic growth will be well below two percent next year after averaging about four percent over the past decade. Unemployment is at 7 percent and rising, while inflation remains stubbornly high.

Even before the riots, New Democracy was trailing the opposition Socialist party by more than five percentage points in opinion polls. Failure to contain the protesters, some of whom torched cars and offices and caused millions of euros in damage, would be another blow to its popularity.

Accusing the government of inaction, tabloid newspaper The Country carried a front-page photomontage of Karamanlis as the Roman Emperor Nero, dressed in a toga with a lyre as Athens burned behind him.

"The riots will have a negative impact in polls because people perceive the government as weak," said Anthony Livanios, head of pollster Alpha Metrics. "If this continues it will have a devastating effect on the government and on stability."

VIOLENT TRADITION

Greece has a tradition of violent protests. Students battle police each November on the anniversary of a 1973 demonstration that helped topple a military junta.

Sociologists say police have swept drugs and crime problems into specific districts such as Athens' Exarchia neighborhood where they face accusations of brutality against youths.

"We are going through a crisis due to a faulty political and social system," said sociologist Eleni Bassagianni. "It's not clear what the police's role is, what their job is and citizens are not aware of their rights and responsibilities."

The economic boom in Greece made many fortunes but also left one-fifth of the population mired below the poverty line, even before the global economic crisis began to take its toll.

Government attempts to toughen pension rules and privatize loss-making companies have prompted accusations by Greece's Socialist opposition and powerful trade unions that the government cares only about the wealthy.

A string of high-profile scandals -- from overpriced public bond sales to illegal phone taps -- have also fueled anger at a lack of accountability.

Many Greeks want someone to be held responsible for the police killing of the teenager, who was from a well-to-do family.

"Any attempt by the government to cover up this incident will have disastrous effects. The dead boy was just 15, Mr Karamanlis, only nine years older than your child," wrote Giorgos Papachristos in Ta Nea newspaper.

(Additional reporting by Renee Maltezou and Deborah Kyvrikosaios; Editing by Timothy Heritage)