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After a convincing victory on May 21, but not enough to govern alone, Kyriakos Mitsotakis took the country back to elections. His chances of winning a second term as prime minister this time are great, due to the changes made to the electoral law. Experts say this election will be a vote on the economy and a reflection of a shift towards conservatism in Greek society, partly due to the strengthening of anti-immigration attitudes.
Sunday's election in Greece comes days after hundreds of migrants died and went missing off Greece's southern coast after their fishing boat capsized. But the event does not seem to have affected the advantage that Kyriakos Mitsotakis continues to enjoy according to the polls, with 20 percent more support than his left-wing rivals. Greece is emerging from a major financial crisis that engulfed the country last decade and is leaving behind the problems caused by the pandemic. Assistant Professor of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at the University of Athens Yannis Tsirbas says that voters feel good about returning to power a prime minister who ensured economic growth and low unemployment figures:
" What we are seeing is a vote for the economy. So the electorate votes in favor of the government when macroeconomic indicators are good. In addition, it seems that the values of this government are in line with a return of conservatism in Greek society. I think that these two aspects are very central to explain why New Democracy won the elections and will win again ".
A Harvard graduate, Mr. Mitsotakis has vowed to change Greece's image as a pro-business eurozone member who responsibly manages the country's finances.
A strategy that has worked so far.
In May, New Democracy defeated its left-wing opponents, winning convincingly in socialist strongholds on the island of Crete and lower-income areas around Athens, some of them for the first time.
One of the areas he is looking to win is the Kaisarian district of Athens, once known as "Little Stalingrad". The city has an incredibly proud tradition of support for the Communist Party, rooted in resistance during World War II, the negative consequences of the Cold War, including a three-year civil war. Theodoros Sideris grew up in a shack, playing on the dirt streets of Kaisariani and selling a left-wing newspaper on a voluntary basis.
His family came to Greece during the population exchange with Turkey a century ago and settled in Kaisariani. They were all leftists. But now the 76-year-old has turned into a conservative, disappointed by the empty promises of the leftists. He says it was Mr. Mitsotakis who managed to convince him:
" I found a man who speaks clearly. He looks people in the eye and doesn't lie to them. He made some mistakes for which he apologized, which is important for Greeks. What did the others, the leftists?! They cut social benefits for the working poor ."
Opposition leader Alexis Tsipras, head of the left-wing Syriza party, served as prime minister from 2015 to 2019. The 48-year-old is now fighting for political survival. Mr Tsipras, whose campaign is centered on the issue of the health service and the welfare state, failed to capitalize on a series of scandals that hit the Mitsotakis government at the end of his term, among them the publication of wiretapping targeting journalists and senior politicians, as well as a serious rail accident on February 28 that highlighted lax safety measures.
" Tsipras and Syriza are not prepared. They had four years to correct all the mistakes they made or all the mistakes attributed to them, starting with the lack of credibility , "says Yannis Tsirbas.
The campaign for the June 25 election has been further complicated by a surge in support for several small and fringe political parties, and a resurgence of a once-powerful socialist party. About nine parties have a realistic chance of winning national representation, ranging from a far-right, ultra-religious group with dark roots to two left-wing breakaway parties founded by former members of top of the former 'Syriza' government./ VOA
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