Al Jazeera's Andrew Simmons reports from Athens, where he describes the situation as talks to form a government continue as a "tinderbox", and that any new government would have to contend with deep-seated political and demographic divisions.

"The real worry is that if there's a weak government, Syriza is going to weigh in and bring it down," he said.

He said that a government would likely be formed and that there was unlikely to be a repeat of the standoff that followed the May elections.

"I really don't think there was the mood … that led to the appalling stalemate," he said. "People wouldn't stand for it."