No clear winner looking likely
Greece went to the polls on Sunday in a general election unlikely to produce a clear winner, with a second vote expected by July if the country’s fractious political parties fail to agree to a coalition.
While opinion polls have placed the ruling conservative New Democracy party ahead, a change to the country’s electoral system means it is likely to fall short of an absolute majority.
New Democracy, headed by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, is polling 31%-38%, followed by opposition leftist party Syriza, trailing by 4-7 percentage points. Pollsters say a party would need more than 45% to win outright.
A cost of-living crisis took centre stage in the campaign, with parties trying to woo voters with pledges to increase the minimum wage and create jobs. Spiralling prices have had a profound impact on Greeks, whose living standards have plunged during a decade-long debt crisis.
“We are business owners, we want [the winner] to help us with our financial situation, so we can survive,” said shopkeeper Vicky, 69. Another voter, Antonia Tsekiri, said she wanted stability. “I voted for a party that will allow for things not to get worse,” she said.
After Greece almost crashed out of the euro at the peak of its debt crisis in 2015, Mitsotakis, elected in 2019, has portrayed himself as a safe pair of hands in his campaign to win the votes of just fewer than 10-million Greeks. But his administration took the brunt of public outrage over a February rail crash killing 57 people, and a wiretapping scandal targeting politicians.
Should no party win outright, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou will give the top three parties a three-day mandate each to form an administration. If they all fail, Sakellaropoulou will appoint a caretaker government to prepare new elections a month later. /Reuters