Kyriakos Mitsotakis, leader of Greece’s conservative New Democracy party, vowed to accelerate reforms after Sunday’s landslide victory in the country’s second election after five weeks, putting him comfortably placed to form a government for a second four-year term. Got parliamentary majority. Enthusiastic supporters gathered outside the party headquarters in Athens, chanting, clapping, setting off fireworks and waving blue and white party flags. Almost complete results showed his party had won more than 40.5% of the vote, defeating his main rival, the leftist Syriza party, which was struggling to reach the 18% it won at the last election in May. 2 percentage points less in comparison.
“With today’s election result, Greece has opened a new, historic chapter in its course,” Mitsotakis said in a televised statement. “The voters have given us a strong mandate to move swiftly on the path of big changes that our country needs. In a forceful and mature manner, he has permanently closed the painful cycle of lies and toxicity that has held the nation back and divided society.
migrant ship capsized
He said, his second term as prime minister “could transform Greece with a dynamic pace of development, leading to increased wages and reduced inequality, better and free public health care, a more effective and digital state and a stronger country will be.”
Sunday’s vote comes just a week after a migrant ship capsized and sank off Greece’s west coast, leaving hundreds dead and missing and raising questions over the actions of Greek authorities and the country’s strict migration policy. But the disaster, which is one of the worst in the Mediterranean in recent years, did not affect the election, with domestic economic issues remaining at the forefront of voters’ minds.
Mitsotakis’s party was projected to win 158 of the 300 seats in parliament, due to a change in electoral law that grants bonus seats to the winning party. The previous election in May, held under a proportional representation system, had won nearly 41% of the vote, five seats short of a majority, and had decided to seek a strong mandate in a second election rather than try to form a government. . Coalition government with a small party.
However, the turnout was lower on Sunday, with just under 53% of eligible voters, while in May the turnout was just over 61%.
In total, eight parties crossed the 3% threshold to enter parliament, including an ultra-religious party and a far-right party backed by a jailed former legislator of the Nazi-inspired and now outlawed Golden Dawn party. was also involved.
Who is Kyriakos Mitsotakis?
Mitsotakis, 55, campaigned on a platform of achieving economic growth and political stability as Greece slowly recovers from a nearly decade-long financial crisis.
His main rival, Alexis Tsipras, 48, served as prime minister from 2015 to 2019 – some of the most turbulent years of Greece’s financial crisis. His performance on Sunday has forced him to fight for his political survival. Following his poor performance in the May elections, he struggled to consolidate his voter base, a task complicated by breakaway parties formed by some of his former allies.
“The election results are clearly negative for us,” Tsipras said in a televised statement. “We have suffered a serious electoral defeat. But I believe that the election result is mainly negative for society and democracy,” he said, pointing to three small right-wing parties that have won enough votes to secure a place in parliament. It will be up to the party members to decide their fate and what path the party should take now, he said.
Tsipras said, “Party members will be called to evaluate all of us and draw up a strategy to deal with these difficult situations.” A Harvard graduate, Mitsotakis comes from one of Greece’s most prominent political families. His late father, Constantine Mitsotakis, served as prime minister in the 1990s, his sister served as foreign minister, and his nephew is the current mayor of Athens. The young Mitsotakis has vowed to rebrand Greece as a pro-business and fiscally responsible eurozone member.
multiple scams
So far the strategy has worked. New Democracy defeated Syriza in May, winning socialist strongholds on the island of Crete and low-income areas around Athens for the first time.
Despite the scandals that rocked the Mitsotakis government at the end of his term, including wiretapping revelations targeting senior politicians and journalists, and the deadly February 28 train crash that exposed poor safety measures in public transport, voters continue to vote for him. Happy to have a Prime Minister back in power who has done something. Economic growth and unemployment decreased.
Insurance company worker Konstantinos, who arrived at a polling station in northern Athens early in the morning with his newly married bride Marietta, said: “Our hopes are that the country will continue the path of development that it has followed in recent years. ” The wedding dress, straight from their wedding reception. He requested that his surname not be used.
Sunday’s vote was held under an electoral system that gives the winning party a bonus of 25 to 50 seats based on its performance, making it easier for a party to win more than the required 151 seats in the 300-member parliament. form the government.
(with input from AP)
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