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Greeks choose between beach and ballot box in first post-bailout vote Greek conservatives on course for landslide election victory
(about 4 hours later)
Greeks have begun casting their ballots in an election called three months ahead of schedule by the embattled prime minister, Alexis Tsipras. Greece’s opposition conservatives are on track to return to power by a landslide and unseat leftists blamed for pushing the country further into debt.
Describing the election as “a day of democracy”, Tsipras urged the nation’s almost 10-million strong electorate not to waste the opportunity, appealing to young Greeks in particular to get to polling stations. Two exit polls gave the conservative New Democracy 38-42% of the vote, suggesting an outright majority in Greece’s parliament.
“Greeks are deciding on the course the country will take over the next four years,” he announced after casting his own ballot in central Athens. “I want to appeal to all citizens to exercise their right to vote, despite the fact that the temperature is high today it’s worth the 20-minute effort to be part of this critical decision for the future of our country.” One of the exit polls suggested New Democracy, lead by Kyriakos Mitsotakis, could win between 155 and 167 seats in the 300-member parliament. The incumbent, Syriza, was polling second with between 26.5 and 30.5% of the vote.
Of the 9,903,864 Greeks eligible to vote, 519,227 are first-time voters aged between 17 and 21. The election was called three months ahead of schedule by the prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, after Syriza suffered a staggering defeat in European parliamentary elections in May.
The leftist leader called the ballot after his Syriza party suffered a staggering defeat in European parliament elections in May. New Democracy, the main opposition party, emerged triumphant with a lead of 9.5 percentage points – a margin of victory not seen since European elections were first contested in Greece in 1981. Describing Sunday’s election as “a day of democracy”, Tsipras urged the electorate not to waste the opportunity, appealing to young Greeks in particular to get to polling stations. Of the 9,903,864 Greeks eligible to vote, 519,227 were first-time voters aged between 17 and 21.
Opinion polls indicate that New Democracy, which is headed by the liberal former banker Kyriakos Mitsotakis, will repeat that performance on Sunday, although analysts are not excluding the possibility that Syriza supporters will rally. “Greeks are deciding on the course the country will take over the next four years,” he announced after casting his own ballot in central Athens. “I want to appeal to all citizens to exercise their right to vote. Despite the fact that the temperature is high today, it’s worth the 20-minute effort to be part of this critical decision for the future of our country.”
The election is being billed as transformational: whichever party wins will form the first post-bailout government after almost a decade of unprecedented recession for the country long on the frontline of Europe’s debt crisis. Kept afloat by international rescue funds since 2010, the thrice-bailed-out nation has been forced to endure punishing austerity in return for remaining in the eurozone.
“I’ve voted early because I want to throw them out,” said Giorgos Mananas, a shop owner in central Athens, referring to the leftists. “Tsipras ended up being like all the rest. He criticised everyone but didn’t look at himself. His economic policies were horrible. Taxes, taxes, taxes. We gave them a chance but after four and a half years they have to go.” The election was billed as transformational: the winning party will form the first post-bailout government after almost a decade of unprecedented recession for the country long on the frontline of Europe’s debt crisis. Kept afloat by international rescue funds since 2010, the thrice-bailed-out nation has been forced to endure punishing austerity in return for remaining in the eurozone.
Casting his vote in the working-class district of Peristeri, the 51-year-old Mitsotakis expressed optimism. “Today all Greeks take the fortunes of the country in their hands and I am sure that tomorrow a better day will dawn for all,” he said smiling broadly. “I’ve voted early because I want to throw them out,” said Giorgos Mananas, a shop owner in central Athens, referring to the leftists. “Tsipras ended up being like all the rest. He criticised everyone but didn’t look at himself. His economic policies were horrible. Taxes, taxes, taxes. We gave them a chance but, after four and a half years, they have to go.”
New Democracy’s unexpectedly good performance has been linked both to Mitsotakis’s efforts to entice centrists and to the conservatives’ ability to siphon off votes from the neo-fascist Golden Dawn by taking a tough stance on immigration and the accord struck by Tsipras settling the long-running name row over Macedonia, Greece’s neighbour to the north. Casting his vote in the working class district of Peristeri, the 51-year-old Mitsotakis expressed optimism. “Today all Greeks take the fortunes of the country in their hands and I am sure that tomorrow a better day will dawn for all,” he said smiling broadly.
But there is anxiety that abstention will emerge as the real winner. The poll is the first to take place at the height of summer since 1928. There are fears voters will prefer to go to the beach or remain at home rather than traipsing to polling stations in temperatures expected to reach 40C. New Democracy’s unexpectedly good performance – it won the European elections by 9.5 percentage points – has been linked to Mitsotakis’s efforts to entice centrists and to the conservatives’ ability to siphon off votes from the neo-fascist Golden Dawn by taking a tough stance on immigration and the accord struck by Tsipras settling the long-running name row over Macedonia, Greece’s neighbour to the north.
Turnout will play a crucial role in an outcome that is expected to become clear by 7pm GMT. But there was anxiety that abstention would emerge as the real winner. The poll was the first to take place at the height of summer since 1928. There were fears voters would prefer to go to the beach or remain at home rather than traipsing to polling stations in temperatures expected to reach 40C.
Twenty parties are contesting the race for seats in the 300-member parliament. The fate of smaller political groupings, which have to cross a 3% threshold to win representation in the house, will depend on the number of people who turn out to vote. Pollsters say that in turn could affect New Democracy’s ability to win an outright majority and form an autonomous government. Twenty parties contested the race for seats in the 300-member parliament. The fate of smaller political groupings, which have to cross a 3% threshold to win representation in the house, will depend on the number of people who turned out to vote. Pollsters say that in turn could affect New Democracy’s ability to win an outright majority and form an autonomous government.
Speaking on TV shows on Sunday morning, analysts mused that the vote could be swung by hundreds of thousands of younger Greeks “deciding to go to the beach or polling stations”. Speaking on television shows on Sunday morning, analysts mused that the vote could be swung by hundreds of thousands of younger Greeks “deciding to go to the beach or polling stations”.
Smaller parties such as the ultra-nationalist Greek Solution and leftist MeRA25, headed by Yanis Varoufakis, the flamboyant former finance minister, have younger Greeks as their target groups. Smaller parties such as the ultra-nationalist Greek Solution and leftist MeRA25, headed by Yanis Varoufakis, the flamboyant former finance minister, had younger Greeks as their target groups.
“Voting once every four years is not enough for democracy,” Varoufakis told reporters as he emerged from a polling station in a coastal area of southern Athens. “Democracy belongs only to those who have the courage to defend it. Today, the only way to defend it is by voting on the basis of parties’ programmes and records, Congratulations to all those citizens who get off their sofas and vote.”“Voting once every four years is not enough for democracy,” Varoufakis told reporters as he emerged from a polling station in a coastal area of southern Athens. “Democracy belongs only to those who have the courage to defend it. Today, the only way to defend it is by voting on the basis of parties’ programmes and records, Congratulations to all those citizens who get off their sofas and vote.”
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