Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has conceded defeat to the anti-austerity Syriza party in general elections, and said he hoped the new government would not endanger the country's EU and euro membership.

"I hand over a country that is part of the EU and the euro. For the good of this country, I hope the next government will maintain what has been achieved," Samaras said in a brief address to reporters on Sunday after exit polls pointed to a victory for the left-wing Syriza party.

Official results with 60 percent of polling stations counted showed Syriza with 36 percent, far ahead of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras' conservatives, who had 28 percent.

It is unclear whether Syriza, led by 40-year-old Alexis Tsipras, will have enough seats to form a government alone, or if he will need the support of a smaller party. Al Jazeera's Barnaby Phillips said it seemed unlikely, but that Syriza would have its pick of smaller parties to form a coalition with.

"This is what five years of austerity have done to Greek politics," he said.

"Undoubtedly it will send shock waves throughout Europe. Many will be celebrating - left wing parties have sent representatives from all over Europe to this happy throng."

Right wing parties also have a reason to celebrate the blow against the EU consensus, he added.

The far-right Golden Dawn and pro-European To Potami are in a neck-and-neck race for third place with percentages between 6.4 and eight percent respectively, according to polls.

Victory for Syriza, which has led opinion polls for months, would produce the first government in the eurozone openly committed to cancelling the austerity terms of its EU and IMF-backed bailout programme.

Tsipras on Sunday said Greece is "leaving behind disastrous austerity" and the so-called troika of creditors "is finished".

"The verdict of our people means the troika is finished," he said referring to the country's international lenders the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank.

The Syriza win could represent another turning point for Europe after last week's announcement by the European Central Bank of a massive injection of cash into the bloc's flagging economy after years of trying to clamp down on budgets and pushing countries to pass structural reforms.

Nearly 9.8 million Greeks were registered to vote in the election.

Syriza appeal

Al Jazeera's Phillips said the elections went smoothly without any problems.

"Greeks are experienced with elections as this is the fifth general election in recent years, displaying the crisis-hit country's political instability," Phillips said.

Syriza's policies have appealed to many groups hit by the economic crisis facing Greece.

"The majority of Greeks believe that austerity measures are imposed on them by well-off northern European countries, particularly Germany," Phillips added.

After its most severe crisis since the fall of its military government in 1974, Greece's economy has shrunk by some 25 percent, thousands of businesses have closed, wages and pensions have been slashed and unemployment among young people is over 50 percent.

At the same time, its massive public debt has climbed from 146 percent of gross domestic product in 2010 to 175.5 percent last year, the second highest in the world.

Greek PM concedes election defeat - Al Jazeera English