After a most tantalising of victories, having inflicted the heaviest defeat in half a century on the opposition, Greece’s centre-right Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis confirmed on Monday that he would seek a second national election within weeks to secure the majority he needs to govern alone.
With 99.70 per cent of the votes counted, Mitsotakis’ New Democracy party won 40.79 per cent — twice the left wing main opposition Syriza’s 20.07 per cent — dominating 58 of the country’s 59 constituencies. Socialist Pasok came in third at 11.46 per cent, while turnout was 61 per cent.
President Katerina Sakellaropoulou on Monday formally offered Mitsotakis the mandate to try and form a coalition government. But during a brief televised conversation, he told her he would return it within hours as there seemed no prospect of success. Mitsotakis voiced hope a new election could come as early as June 25.
ND’s margin of victory far outstripped pollsters’ forecasts and was the biggest since 1974, when Greece’s first democratic elections were held after the fall of the seven-year military dictatorship. Athenian Fotis Hatzos said that while he had expected ND’s win, its hammering of the main opposition party took him by surprise.
“What is there to say, (Mitsotakis) destroyed them,” he told The Associated Press. “He won fairly.”
Markets welcomed what seems to signal the end of the political uncertainty that troubled the NATO and European Union member following the 2009 financial crisis, with the Athens stock exchange general index surging more than 7 per cent at opening Monday and Greek bonds also rallying.
But the one-off proportional representation system in effect Sunday means ND only gains 146 of Parliament’s 300 seats, five short of a governing majority. The new elections, expected no later than July 2, will revert to the previous system that grants the first party a bonus of up to 50 seats. That would ensure Mitsotakis a comfortable majority for a second term in power if Sunday’s result holds.
The 55-year-old prime minister told President Sakellaropoulou Monday that he could see “effectively no way for the current parliament to form a government,” overcoming the “obstacle” of the electoral system.
“That is why I will return the mandate to you this afternoon, so that we can head for new elections” if other parties fail to form a coalition deal, “as soon as possible, perhaps even on June 25,” Mitsotakis said. “The country needs a strong and stable government with a four-year mandate and as soon as this is settled the better.”
Mitsotakis had long suggested he would not seek a coalition partner whatever the election outcome.
Analyst Wolfango Piccoli, who has followed Greek politics for years, said voters prioritised the economy and political stability over everything else. “ND’s overwhelming performance is largely due to the positive track record on the economic front of the past four years,” the senior political risk analyst at Teneo told the AP. “Syriza’s inability to convey a coherent and credible economic plan also helped PM Mitsotakis and his ND.”
“The outcome of yesterday’s vote creates a window of opportunity for Greece to turn the page and move away from the toxic populist politics that emerged during” the financial crisis, he added.
