Greek elections: Mitsotakis’s conservatives on track for decisive majority

Greek conservative leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis is poised to secure a second term as prime minister, according to preliminary results, media reports said. His party, New Democracy, has obtained 40.3% of the vote, establishing a significant lead of 20 points over the centre-left Syriza party. Mitsotakis had called for new elections just a day after his party’s success in the May national elections. He made the announcement after elections failed to produce a single-party government. In these elections, Mitsotakis’ victory margin appears to be increasing, as his conservatives had already outperformed Syriza by a 20-point margin in the previous election.

Mitsotakis, 55, is credited with successfully stabilising and fostering growth in the Greek economy after a severe debt crisis and multiple international bailouts. Despite the cost-of-living crisis affecting many Greeks, voters opted for the party that promised lower taxes and improved public health.

Election amid tragedy

The election took place 11 days after a tragic incident involving a migrant boat off the coast of Greece, which is estimated to have claimed the lives of around 500 people. However, there seems to have had minimal impact of the tragedy on the campaign. Voters reportedly prioritised maintaining economic stability. Under Greek election rules for a second election, the conservative party is granted a bonus number of seats in parliament, dependent on the final results. 

Success for the far-right Spartans Party

The new far-right Spartans party is seemingly set to surpass the 3 per cent vote-share threshold required to enter parliament. The party emerged as a political force following the Greek Supreme Court’s ban on another far-right party, the Greeks, with its incarcerated founder lending Ilias Kasidiaris support to the Spartans.

Fragmented left-wing vote

While New Democracy is on track for a significant win, the left-wing vote is fragmented. The Socialist PASOK party is expected to secure over 11 per cent, while the Communist KKE party is around 7 per cent.

The conservative leader Mitsotakis has developed a reputation for weathering crises, having navigated through a series of damaging incidents in the past year. For instance, thousands of protestors expressed their discontent and opposition following Greece’s most devastating railway accident on 28 February. This tragic incident claimed the lives of dozens of individuals and sparked outrage.

They voiced their concerns regarding the inadequate safety measures within Greece’s railway system and called for the accountability of those responsible for the catastrophic head-on collision between a passenger train and a freight train. The protest outside Parliament saw over 8,000 people joining forces, demanding justice and change.

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Mitsotakis’ leadership also weathered a wire-tapping scandal, a significant event reportedly involving the illegal surveillance and wiretapping of Greek politicians, journalists, and other public figures by the state. The scandal led to the downfall of the intelligence chief and his own nephew, Grigoris Dimitriadis, who served as the prime minister’s chief of staff.