The biggest opposition party, the leftist SYRIZA, under party leader Alexis Tsipras, reached 17.8 percent, according to results published by the Interior Ministry. Mitsotakis’ ND was already clearly ahead in the previous election at the end of May – what it still lacked at the time was the majority needed for a one-party government. Since then, a transitional government has ruled in Greece.
As the strongest party in this election receives at least 20 additional seats in the 300-member parliament, according to the electoral law, the Conservatives can form the future government with a majority of around 160 seats.
Portal/Louiza Vradi Mitsotakis secured majority for one-party government
Varoufakis fails the three percent barrier
In addition to ND and SYRIZA, the social democrat PASOK with 12.2 percent, the Greek Communist Party KKE with 7.5 percent and the far-right nationalist Spartiates party with 4.7 percent are also in parliament. The right-wing populist party Elliniki Lisi also entered parliament with a provisional 4.6%. Furthermore, the ultra-Orthodox Niki party is expected to be represented with 3.8% of parliament.
The small left-wing radical Plefsi Eleftherias has to worry about entering parliament with 3.1 percent (May: 2.9 percent). Far behind was the Mera25 party of left-wing former finance minister Giannis Varoufakis at 2.3 percent.
“Today we celebrate”
“Today we celebrate, but tomorrow we roll up our sleeves,” Mitsotakis promised party supporters in Athens in the evening. With this election result, your Nea Dimokratia is the strongest popular party in Europe. “It’s a big mandate to implement what is needed,” Mitsotakis said. Their biggest concerns now are more growth, which will lead to higher wages. Furthermore, as announced during the election campaign, he will turn the ailing health care system upside down. And he will continue to work on modernizing and digitizing the state.
The new election became necessary because the parties could not agree on a coalition after the election five weeks ago. In view of the bonus system now being used, Mitsotakis was optimistic as he voted in Athens on Sunday morning that he could lead a “stable and effective government” with an absolute majority in the future.
The ND had already emerged as the absolute winner on May 21 with 40.8% of the votes, but had lost the absolute majority. It was ND’s best result since 2007.
Under Mitsotakis, the Greek economy stabilized after years of austerity. Unemployment has dropped, economic growth has been six percent in 2022, the investment rate has risen and tourism has returned to growth this year. During the election campaign, Mitsotakis also emphasized that he had cut more than 50 taxes.
“Heavy Defeat”
For opposition leader Tsipras, however, the result was disappointing. “We suffered a heavy electoral defeat,” he admitted. The party now needs the necessary cuts. Party militants are asked to evaluate the work of the entire leadership and to reorganize themselves in these difficult conditions. “Needless to say, I am the first to face the judgment of party members.”
After five electoral defeats, Tsipras must face difficult times. There have already been calls for his resignation following the party’s dramatic fall in the May elections. However, SYRIZA is strongly adapted to Tsipras. While there are popular and well-known politicians in their ranks, no one has been officially groomed by them for a leadership role.
SYRIZA led by APA/AFP/Louisa Gouliamaki Tsipras was below 18 percent
At the same time, SYRIZA again failed to oppose the ND course. After an election result of just 20.0 percent, she tried to make the social consequences of inflation for many people an issue in the election campaign in view of persistently low wages in Greece. After his vote on Sunday, Tsipras warned of a “runaway government” under Mitsotakis.
Before the election, SYRIZA invoked the Greek word “autocracy”, which describes “unrestricted state power in the hands of a single ruler”, in this case the previous head of government, Mitsotakis.
In other European countries, some observers took a similar view. According to the media, Greece is on the way to autocracy under Mitsotakis. His style is a new form of “quiet populism”, others have assessed Mitsotakis’ style.
Secret Service Scandal and Train Crash
Indeed, the Conservatives’ past tenure was by no means crowned with glory alone. So Mitsotakis left the secret service report directly. A nephew of the Prime Minister became the coordinator. Later, a huge scandal ensued, because the secret service not only bugged journalists and opposition politicians, but also its own chief of staff. Mitsotakis stated that he did not know anything, dismissed his nephew and has since referred the case to the judiciary.
But even this secret service scandal did not detract from the success of the conservatives – as did the accusation of “Orbanization” and Tsipras’ guilt that Mitsotakis was to blame for the serious train accident in February in central Greece that killed 57 people.
Mitsotakis benefits from weak SYRIZA
However, Greek observers see Mitsotakis’s strength above all as Tsipras’s weakness: The fact that Tsipras and his SYRIZA failed in the most recent elections – the party fell eleven percentage points to 20 percent – is seen as mostly their fault. . Media and citizens later criticized a “toxic election campaign” because Tsipras offered almost no programs but constantly slammed the government.
Many of SYRIZA’s campaign promises, such as higher pensions and minimum wages, had already been realized by conservatives before the elections. Mitsotakis also brought the country enormously to the forefront economically, socially, and foreign policy. Unemployment has dropped from around 19 to currently a good eleven percent.
The state has been significantly reduced in bureaucracy and digitalised: many official transactions can now be completed online in just a few minutes. At the same time, the government lowered corporate taxes. As a result, international companies such as Microsoft, Google and Pfizer discovered the country and invested heavily.
Difficult migration course successfully
Many voters also credit Mitsotakis with the government’s crackdown on strict border controls and reducing the number of refugees. Islands like Lesvos and Samos have been in a state of emergency for years because of the refugee crisis – citizens there can now live normally again.
APA/AFP/Sakis Mitrolidis Above all, Mitsotakis’ strict migration policy is welcomed by his constituency
The government has consistently denied international media accusations that Greece is carrying out backtracking, ie pushing migrants back to Turkey without granting them an asylum claim. However, it is now indisputable that there have been setbacks. At the same time, the number of proven resistances does not compare to the tens of thousands of people who have been rescued by Greek border guards in recent years.
Boat accident issue in election campaign
One theme that dominated the election campaign until the end was the recent boat accident off the Greek coast, in which hundreds of refugees lost their lives. In this context, Mitsotakis openly attacked SYRIZA because of the migration policy during his reign, recently reported the Greek “Kathimerini”. He also referred to the overcrowded Moria refugee camp, which was put into operation under the SYRIZA government and burned down in September 2020.
Portal/Hellenic Coast Guard Hundreds of refugees died in recent boat accident off Greek coast
Leftist parties, on the other hand, see responsibility for the conservative government of the last four years. Due to the tight controls it introduced at sea, smugglers are now choosing more dangerous and longer routes, passing through Greece directly to Italy, according to the indictment. The fishing boat, occupied by 500 to 700 migrants, sank on its way from Libya to Europe.