With less than two weeks to go until the new election on 25^th June, a picture is beginning to emerge of how things might turn out. The latest polls show Nea Dimokratia maintaining the lead which it had in the May 21^st election, while the major opposition parties retain the same pecking order. However, there are some changes at the bottom of the list: both Elliniki Lysi and Mera25 have lost votes compared with May 21^st, with Mera25 remaining out of Parliament, while Elliniki Lysi still clears the 3 per cent threshold for entry. Most notably, two parties which were below the Parliamentary threshold in May – the right-wing religious party Niki and Zoe Konstantopoulou’s Plevsi Eleftherias – have now cleared it, bringing the prospect of 7-party Parliament, as against 5 parties in the short-lived Parliament produced by the 21^st May election.

If the pollsters’ predictions are translated into actual results on 25^th June, ND would comfortably achieve an absolute majority, with at least 160 seats. It will be remembered that under the modified proportional representation system introduced for the new election, the party with the most votes gets a bonus which ranges from 20 seats for 25 per cent of the vote up to 50 seats for around 40 per cent of the vote.

The participating parties

This time round 44 parties, coalitions and independents submitted their applications for candidacy to the Supreme Court. They included “Greeks for the Homeland and for Freedom”, a coalition of independent candidates assembled by the jailed Chrysi Avgi member Ilias Kasidiaris, in another attempt to circumvent the Court’s ban on his standing for Parliament. ND’s leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis promptly submitted an application to the Supreme Court for it to ban the coalition and any other coalition of which Kasidiaris was the actual leader. On 8^th June it was announced that the Supreme Court in plenary session had approved the candidacy of 26 parties, 4 coalitions and 2 independent candidates. “Greeks for the Homeland and for Freedom” was among those not allowed to stand.

Party leaders tour the country

In the meantime party leaders have continued to tour the country to promote their message. This week Kyriakos Mitsotakis has been visiting the islands of the Dodecanese, while the leaders of SYRIZA and PASOK, Alexis Tsipras and Nikos Androulakis, are in Crete. The two opposition leaders, with seemingly no chance of actually achieving power, are intent on proving that they will provide a strong opposition, capable of holding Nea Dimokratia in check. Speaking from Rethymnon on Monday Mr Tsipras invited his audience to vote for SYRIZA if they do not want “an uncontrollable right”. “We will fight to overturn the setup of May, so that on the day after there will be someone who can look them in the eye and impede them… SYRIZA is and will remain a party of power,” he said. (www.goodnet.gr)

Speaking from Heraklion, Mr Androulakis said: “Our country and the Greek people need a strong, reliable and productive force, this we aim to be with the popular verdict on 25^th June,” claiming that the party constitutes “the genuine adversary of conservatism”, which will “embrace the struggles of the Greek people for a strong welfare state which will reduce inequalities, for a competitive productive base which will create many good jobs for young Greeks in Greece, which will respect and serve institutions, democracy and human rights.”

Interview with Kyriakos Mitsotakis

Against these vague sentiments it is almost inevitable that Nea Dimokratia, with the benefit of four years of experience in government and a clearly formulated plan for the future, should sound like the voice of reason and competence. Speaking during an interview with Skai TV’s Giorgos Aftia on 11^th June, Kyriakos Mitsotakis dismissed the emerging competition between SYRIZA and PASOK to be the official opposition. In an election people vote for a government, not for an opposition, he said. “People are not interested in who comes second or third, they want a government which will provide stability and progress.”

Among concrete proposals to improve living standards in the country, Mr Mitsotakis mentioned the proposed creation of a new ministry of the Family. He said that it was necessary to bring all matters relating to family policy under one roof, as currently different ministries have differing policies in some areas. The country’s major challenge is the demographic one of a shrinking population, he said. The important thing is to support families with children. Through maternity grants but also through encouraging a balance between family and professional life, so that women do not feel that they are sacrificing their careers if they have children. This would include support for private childcare facilities, doubling the number of low-interest loans available for individuals and young couples buying their first home, and dealing with inequalities in pay between men and women.

On the subject of the cost of living, he said that the major problem of high prices needs to be dealt with, not just by subsidies, which are a short-term solution, but by measures to reduce inflation – already coming down as a result of the reduction in energy prices – including interventions in the market to stop profiteering, increases in the minimum wage, improved salaries, reduction of business taxes and greater emphasis on freedom of collective bargaining.

The full interview can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUDO4W5BAcw.

The leaders’ debate

As for the election of May 21^st, a televised debate between the political leaders is planned, to take place at the studios of ERT on Thursday 15^th June. Starting at 9.00 pm, the three-hour debate, as before, will consist of questions posed by a panel of journalists on six major topics:
1) The economy – development – employment
2) Foreign policy – defence
3) The state – institutions – transparency
4) Health – education- the welfare state
5) Environment – energy
6) The new generation

Taking part will be the leaders of Nea Dimokratia, SYRIZA, PASOK, KKE and Elliniki Lysi. The leader of Mera25, Giannis Varoufakis, will not take part as his party did not achieve entry to Parliament in the elections of 21^st May.