Greece prepares for elections on Sunday that will determine the ruling party for the next four years. While opinion polls suggest the ruling New Democratic Party (ND) party is likely to win, the opposition remains optimistic about its chances.
Greece is preparing for a general election on Sunday to determine who will lead the country for the next four years. While opinion polls suggest the ruling New Democrats (ND) are likely to win, the opposition remains optimistic about their chances of victory .
In recent weeks, opinion polls have shown a resurgence in ND’s popularity. The index has been trending downward since a fatal train accident near the northern city of Tempe on Feb. 28 that killed at least 57 people. A one-party government that promises more prosperity, stability and security. He said a new Greece had emerged thanks to his government’s policies, which he praised as bold and realistic.
On the other hand, the main opposition party, SYRIZA, campaigned around two main pillars, citing corruption and wiretapping, the latter dubbed “Greek Watergate”, accusing the government of severely undermining the rule of law and democracy during its tenure, and promising to restore Democracy and institutional integrity in Greece. The Greek middle class is also targeted by the party, which argues that the ND’s economic policies have exacerbated income inequality.
SYRIZA criticized the poll for giving the ND a lead, saying their support was more important than the poll suggested.
While it has been suggested that all left-wing parties would form a progressive coalition government if Parliament came together, the major ideological differences between them mean that such a government is highly unlikely.
Social Democrat PASOK-KINAL, led by Nikos Androulakis, is expected to be the third largest government party in the new parliament. The difference from ND and SYRIZA is its pro-Western foreign policy and market-oriented economic policy. As a result, many polls and media reports suggest that the party could be the king of the coalition government led by ND or SYRIZA.
However, some of its members feel that SYRIZA is too left-leaning, while others are opposed to cooperating with the ND in the surveillance scandal which may cause PSOK to refuse to join a potential alliance.
The Communist Party of Greece (KKE), the country’s oldest political party, has distanced itself from other parties it accuses of its founding. Led by Dimitris Kusupas, it has ruled out participation in a coalition government. Still, it appears poised to become the fourth-largest party in parliament, thanks to its traditional appeal to some high-profile unions and young people, as well as its loyal electoral base.
MeRA25 is headed by former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis-establishment and Eurosceptic rhetoric also means it could cross the 3% electoral threshold and have representation in the new parliament.
But its particularly hard-line stance on neoliberal economic policies makes it far from an ideal coalition partner for SYRIZA, which has become a centrist party
Also, by Kyriakos Velopoulos The far-right populist Greek Solution party that leads is expected to retain its seat in parliament but is unlikely to play a role in any coalition because of its pro-Russian and ultra-nationalist and religious rhetoric.
In this context, a second election in early June seems likely.