Greek centre-right party New Democracy (ND) triumphed in national elections over the weekend, leaving leftist opposition Syriza far behind.
ND’s 40.8 per cent exceeded even the most optimistic polls and was double that of hard-left opposition party Syriza on 20 per cent.
PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ mandate was marred by the pandemic, a cost-of-living crisis, several corruption scandals, and a deadly train collision in March. The ruling ND party has also been criticised for the deterioration of press freedom in the country and the handling of the migration crisis.
Despite these setbacks, the party looks set for another four years in power.
Polls did not predict the clear 20-point difference between the main parties. Syriza’s leader Alexis Tsipras, a former prime minister, is facing a humiliating defeat, having failed to meet expectations.
ND is however five seats short of the majority needed to form a government. Mitsotakis now has a three-day mandate for negotiations with other parties on forming a coalition.
A quick coalition agreement is thought unlikely. None of the three big parties has expressed an interest, and given ND’s ‘stunning’ 40.8 per cent, Mitsotakis is also unlikely to seek one out.
If negotiations fail, a caretaker government will be appointed, and Greece will head for new vote in late June or early July. ND is expected to ‘safely’ secure an absolute majority in the second round of elections.
“The voters recognised the important progress made over the past four years,” Mitsotakis said. “[The results] show that the people approve of a strong, self-reliant ND government.”
The Socialist PASOK-KINAL party managed 11.5 per cent of the vote.
The Communist Party of Greece increased its share to 7.2 per cent, while the hard-right Greek Solution, gaining seats with a 4.5 per cent score.
