The right-wing party of Kyriakos Mitsotakis won a large victory in the legislative elections in Greece on Sunday May 21, but a second ballot will be necessary to guarantee it a stable government. New Democracy (ND), led by the outgoing Prime Minister, won 40.8% of the vote, according to partial results covering 85% of the polling stations. It is very clearly ahead of the left of former head of government Alexis Tsipras, which won only 20% of the vote, ahead of the socialist party Pasok-Kinal which recorded a score of 11.6%.
Saluting with his victory “a political earthquake”, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in charge since 2019, paved the way for a second ballot which could be held at the end of June or the beginning of July. Which would allow him, if he confirms this performance, to win an absolute majority. Thanks to a different electoral system, the winning party would then obtain a “bonuses” up to 50 seats. According to projections on Sunday evening, his party wins 145 of the 300 seats of deputies, six seats less than the absolute majority.
Inflation and disintegration of public services
The decline in purchasing power and the difficulties of making ends meet remain the main concerns of voters, while the population has made painful sacrifices over the past ten years. Many Greeks have to make do with low salaries and have lost faith in public services that have been reduced to a trickle after drastic weight loss treatments, particularly in hospital.
The country is still suffering from a public debt of more than 170% of its GDP. Finally, inflation came close to 10% last year, further aggravating the difficulties of the population.