Right-wing leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis welcomed his victory in Sunday’s legislative elections in Greece, saying he had “a strong mandate” to “transform” the country. The former Prime Minister, who will return to his post after this victory, promised “big changes” ranging from “increased wages” to “a more efficient state”.
New Democracy (ND), in power from 2019 to the end of May, obtained 40.5% of the vote, well over double that of its main opponent, the leftist Syriza led by Alexis Tsipras, according to results covering more than 90 % of polling stations. Syriza, which already suffered a stinging setback in the first ballot five weeks ago, won only 17.8% of the vote, 2.2 points less than on May 21.
This result should ensure the right 158 seats out of the 300 in the unicameral Greek Parliament, according to analysts. With such a score, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, a 55-year-old Harvard (United States) graduate from a Greek political dynasty, is sure to find the Prime Minister’s chair that he had to give up at the end of May, before the second elections.
“The people, for the second time in a few weeks, have given us a strong mandate to move forward towards the big changes that the country needs”, welcomed the 55-year-old leader Sunday evening in front of his troops.
Greece in blue
“All of Greece is blue! “, he also launched in front of his jubilant supporters, in reference to the color of his party. “New Democracy is the strongest centre-right party in Europe! “, he also assured, speaking in shirt sleeves in front of the headquarters of his party in Athens. Four years after coming to power, New Democracy has improved its score compared to 2019 when it obtained 39.85% of the vote.
Eight parties are expected to cross the 3% threshold necessary to enter parliament, according to these partial results, including the far-right party “Spartiates”, supported by a former executive of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn formation, Ilias Kassidiaris, who is currently serving a heavy prison sentence. Kyriakos Mitsotakis won 40.79% of the vote on May 21.
But this advance had not brought him the absolute majority required to form a government without having to forge an alliance. He had ruled out building a coalition and called for new elections, relying for that on a voting system that grants the party that came out on top a “bonus” of up to 50 seats. Facing him, Alexis Tsipras takes another heavy defeat, after a slap five weeks ago when Syriza fell to 20.07% of the vote, a drop of more than 11.5 points compared to 2019.
The question of his future at the head of the party should now arise when already after the defeat of May 21, the former Prime Minister (2015-2019) and darling of the radical left in Europe had admitted having thought of resigning.
“Choice of reason”
In the Athens district of Pangrati, Aris Manopoulos, a shopkeeper in his fifties, explains that he made the “choice of reason”. “I voted for New Democracy so that the country moves forward and continues to recover economically,” he confides.
In recent days, Kyriakos Mitsotakis had called on the Greeks to grant him a large majority. By largely turning away from Syriza, the Greeks seem to be showing that they definitely want to turn the page on the years of bitter financial crisis and bailouts with drastic conditions that have considerably impoverished them.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis has also continued to brandish his economic record, marked by a rebound in growth – to 5.9% in 2022 – and declining unemployment after a decade of crisis. He promised wage increases, especially for the lowest incomes, the main concern of Greeks who suffer from the high cost of living.
“The major reforms will move forward quickly,” he assured Sunday evening, saying he wanted “wage increases and the reduction of inequalities”. Kyriakos Mitsotakis has also pledged to carry out massive hiring in the public health sector, which has suffered from glaring lack of resources since the financial crisis and the drastic weight loss treatments imposed in many public services.