Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the incumbent Prime Minister, has achieved a remarkable 40.8% of the votes with 90% of the ballots counted, surpassing all poll predictions. In contrast, the radical left party led by Alexis Tsipras secured 20.06% of the votes. The voter turnout stood at approximately 59% during the Greek legislative elections held on Sunday.
Greeks have clearly voted in favor of stability. The conservative government’s solid economic track record seems to have won over a majority of voters. With a continuous decrease in unemployment, mainly due to the booming tourism sector, and a remarkable 6% growth rate last year, Greece has attracted investors and experienced rapid debt reduction at an unprecedented pace in post-war Europe.
“Furthermore, the government has taken steps to combat declining purchasing power and inflation by raising the minimum wage three times, although it remains relatively low,” commented sociologist Nikos Dimou. This stands in stark contrast to the ten years of economic crisis and austerity measures (2008-2018) that Greece was just emerging from when Kyriakos Mitsotakis came into power.
Economic Governance Success
The election results delivered a devastating blow to the opposition, particularly the radical left. Alexis Tsipras did not wait for the final tally to congratulate the outgoing Prime Minister. “Left-wing voters still haven’t forgiven Alexis Tsipras for his flip-flop in 2015. Despite pledging to stand against austerity, he eventually accepted it,” he added.
The election campaign of Tsipras’ party also faced challenges, especially when he announced that he would not shut the door to votes from the far-right party Golden Dawn or when his former labor minister, Giorgos Katrougalos, declared that the party would increase taxes on the profits of liberal professions by 20%. “Greeks no longer want to endure these successive burdens, especially after the crisis. The current government has proven its good economic governance, even during the Covid crisis and inflation,” said Dimou.
Coalition Rejection
The desire for stability may explain the decline of anti-establishment and protest-oriented smaller parties that had gained momentum in recent months but failed to secure seats in the Greek Parliament (Vouli). On the other hand, the Communist Party (KKE) and the Pasok socialist party have seen their support increase, with the latter experiencing a revival.
“The gap between Pasok and Syriza is narrowing significantly. This means that Pasok could become Greece’s second political force again,” stated a senior member of the socialist party on Sunday evening. Kyriakos Mitsotakis referred to it as a “political earthquake” and pledged to “work harder to honor the people’s trust.”
The single-round proportional voting system makes it impossible to form a government without resorting to coalitions. “Greek political parties lack this culture, especially considering the Greek society’s negative memories of past coalitions,” said Constantinos Filis, Director of the Institute of International Relations. Starting from Monday, each major party will have up to three days to attempt to form a coalition government.
However, the conservative Prime Minister has ruled out any compromise, and based on the election results, the opposition is unlikely to succeed even by combining the scores of the socialist and communist parties. This impasse will likely lead to a new election, which is expected to take place on June 25.
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