The legislative elections in Greece with the decryption of the Greek journalist, Maria Denaxa, according to which the main parties will not manage alone, or in coalition, to reach 46% of the votes, because many Greeks, 24 hours before this election, have not yet decided who they will vote for, and even if they will vote.
Focus on the Greek legislative elections, this Sunday, May 21, in order to renew for four years the 300 deputies of the Greek Parliament. Decryption with Maria Denaxa, Greek journalist, correspondent in Paris.
franceinfo: Maria Denaxa the main candidates in the running are the current Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakisthe leader of Nea Democratia, New Democracy, the conservative party, the opposition, first the Syriza party, the left of Alexis Tsipras, and Pasok, the socialists of Nikos Androulakis. How is this election going?
Maria Denaxa: The three candidates are trying each on their own to win more voters now. But I think that the game will be defined more by the dynamics of the small parties, either the satellites of the conservatives, or the satellites of the left-wing parties, which play a decisive role in the outcome of tomorrow’s election, and also coalitions.
In any case, voters can choose tomorrow between 36 parties. It is certain that tomorrow the main parties will not be able, alone or in coalition, to reach 46% of the vote because many people in Greece today, although we are 24 hours before the opening of the ballot boxes, have not yet decided for whom they are going to vote and if they are going to vote, then it is very likely to have an electoral marathon after this first ballot, therefore a second electoral meeting in July.
How was the election campaign?
During this campaign, and in the programs presented by the main parties, it was the question of purchasing power, and therefore of the economy, which was at the heart of the debates. For the record, the country emerged very weakened from a decade of economic crisis, where austerity policies notably imposed a drastic drop in wages and pensions.
To give you an example, the pensions of retirees have decreased on average by 20 to 40%. And it must be said that, at a time when countries are happy to support the return of growth, and that of foreign investors, it is inflation and energy prices that are soaring. So, during the campaign, the conservatives of New Democracy propose, for example, to increase the average salary by 25%, during their possible next mandate. On the left, Syriza evokes, for its part, the raising of the minimum wage to 880 euros, and a boost to pensions for retirees.
franceinfo: Since the 2009 crisis, the Greeks have experienced austerity policies under the left of Tsipras, then of the conservatives. Today, the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, comes out weakened by various scandals, and the railway accident of last February 28, causing the death of 57 passengers, including many young people, which provoked anger among the population with many demonstrations denouncing the negligence of the Greek railway system, partly privatized at the request of the European Union in the context of the public debt crisis.
Now, there are also the newcomers, the Greek youth who have grown up to the rhythm of the financial, health and environmental crises, which have shaken the country for 15 years. What is the general feeling of the Greeks?
Maria Denaxa : It’s a general disgust of people. At the same time, worry about tomorrow, where are we going? We no longer pay attention to people’s real problems, and this situation is untenable. The more Greece plunges into austerity, into absurdity, the more people go to extremes, and the future of young people Greeks who are not going to vote tomorrow, or who are going to vote for the extremes.
In the calendar, this Greek election is right between the first and the second round of elections in Turkey. Do these Turkish elections have an influence in Greece?
The Greeks, the Greek authorities, but the Greek people, are following the elections in Turkey very closely, despite the fact that we know that if Erdogan wins, or if Kiliçdaroglu wins, nothing will change regarding relations between Turkey and Greece. We are not very optimistic on this subject. We don’t think there will be an appeasement, as everyone wishes.