In the absence of an absolute majority on May 21, the outgoing Prime Minister had called for new elections. He hopes there to strengthen his lead over Syriza on Sunday and form “a stable government”.
Will this second ballot in five weeks be the right one? The outgoing right-wing Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is the big favorite in the legislative elections in Greece on Sunday June 25, which he hopes to win by winning an absolute majority to form “a stable government”. Facing him, the leader of the left, Alexis Tsipras, promised to fight “until the last second” despite Syriza’s bitter rout in the previous election on May 21.
The polling stations opened at 7 a.m. (6 a.m. in Paris). Exit polls will be published when the polls close at 8 p.m. (7 p.m. in Paris).
Big favorite in the polls, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, head of government from 2019 to the end of May, had won a big victory five weeks ago by winning 40.8% of the vote. But this advance, the magnitude of which surprised analysts, did not bring him the absolute majority required to form a government without having to forge an alliance. The leader of New Democracy had ruled out building a coalition and called for new elections.
A third ballot in the event of a lack of majority?
The latest polls this time give the right between 37.8% and 45% of voting intentions. For Syriza, which recorded only 20.07% of the vote on May 21, a drop of 11.5 points compared to 2019, the decline could be further accentuated. Forecasts place it at between 16.8% and 20%. Kyriakos Mitsotakis is counting on a different voting system from May 21, which this time grants the party that came out on top a “bonus” of up to 50 seats.
The 55-year-old leader faces two potential pitfalls. On the one hand, the possible weariness of the voters, called twice to the polls in less than two months and who could favor the beaches on this summer Sunday. On the other hand, the crumbling of the voices, in particular on the right of the conservatives, where three small formations dispute the votes of the sympathizers of the extreme right. They must register at least 3% of the votes to send deputies to sit in Parliament. However, the number of parties represented in Parliament will have arithmetic consequences on the number of seats allocated to New Democracy.
On Friday, Kyriakos Mitsotakis raised the specter … of a third ballot in the heart of summer, when most Greeks take their vacation. “I hope we don’t have to see each other again at the beginning of August”he thus dropped on the Skaï television channel, adding: “This is not a joke !”