Before last Sunday’s local and regional elections, commentators’ attention was focused on whether the ruling party Nea Dimokratia would be able to maintain the substantial majority which it had achieved in the national elections, or whether “election fatigue” might contribute to a reduced turnout, to ND’s disadvantage. The Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis reiterated his ambition to “turn the country blue” and achieve a dominance of ND-supported candidates in all 13 Regions and the three major municipalities of Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras. At the same time the opposition parties were hoping either to consolidate gains made or to recoup losses incurred in the national elections.