Greece’s prime minister for the past four years, the conservative Kyriakos Mitsotakis, would have reached an absolute majority in the elections held this Sunday, according to the first exit polls. It is estimated that participation could be 46%.
The conservative New Democracy would have achieved between 40 and 44% of the votes, according to a survey broadcast by public television ERT after closing the polling stations at 4:00 p.m. GMT.
The percentage minimum for absolute majority is 38%after a premium of up to 50 seats was introduced in these elections -in a parliament of 300 deputies- for the winner.
Σήμερα τον λόγο έχουν οι πολίτες και η δημοκρατία. Ψηφίζουμε για να αποκτήσει ο τόπος σταθερή και αποτελεσματική κυβέρνησ η με ορίζοντα τετραετίας. Για μια πατρίδα που θα προσφέρει συνθήκες ευημερίας και κοινωνικής ισό τητας σε όλους τους Έλληνες.
Καλή ψήφο σε όλες και όλους! pic.twitter.com/hqZowKOdAr
—Kyriakos Mitsotakis (@kmitsotakis) June 25, 2023
The leftist opposition party syrizaof former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, follows him from afar, with among the 16.1% and 19.1%.
The Pasok-Kinal Social Democrats they came in third placewith around 10% of the vote, followed by the Communist Party of Greece (7.2-9.2%).
According to projections, in fifth place -with between 4 and 6% of the ballots- the far-right party remains “Spartans“, to which the former neo-Nazi deputy Ilías Kasidiaris, currently in prison for leading a criminal gang, showed his support a few weeks ago.
Others four parties fight to enter Parliament by overcoming the 3% barrier, among them the leftist MeRA25 of former Finance Minister Yanis Varufakis.
[Diez millones de griegos vuelven a votar en unos comicios donde Mitsotakis busca la mayoría absoluta]
In the elections on May 21, New Democracy came out on top but failed to win an outright majority.
Mitsotakis after a few failed coalition negotiations called new elections, knowing that they would be held with a new electoral law that grants bonus seats to the winner and could govern alone.
He back to Mitsotakis in these elections is mainly due to to its economic management, according to all studies.
Although the country’s economy is still has not reached levels prior to the 2010 debt crisis, The Greeks recognize their work, with increases in pensions and salaries, the arrival of investments and the country’s growth above the European Union average.
[La caída de Tsipras, el David que al final no pudo con Goliath]
and even though his government has faced scandals, such as the wiretapping of an opposition politician and journalists, the Greeks voted more with their pockets than thinking about possible democratic setbacks.
Regarding immigration policy, Mitsotakis followed through on his promise to reduce asylum claims and protect borderswhich has attracted conservative voters despite criticism from human rights groups and aid organizations for implementing, according to them, hot returns.
nor these criticisms not even the recent shipwreck with hundreds of deaths and disappearances have detracted from support at the polls.
