Greek conservative Kyriakos Mitsotakis won re-election as Prime Minister on a campaign of economic and political revival (Presidential Executive Office of Russia, Wikimedia Commons).
The Greek conservative New Democracy party, led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, emerged victorious in the Greek general elections, securing a second term in office. The nation headed to the polls for the second time in five weeks on June 25 following several recent disasters in the county.
What Were Some Events Leading to the Greek General Election?
Roughly one week before the election, a migrant ship sank on the southern coast of Greece. This migrant ship contained Egyptian, Syrian, Afghani, Pakistani, and Palestinian passengers. The incident raised questions about the actions of Greek authorities and the nation’s strict migration policy. Despite the catastrophe, which stands as one of the most severe in the Mediterranean recently, the election remained largely unaffected by this tragedy; voters’ primary concerns revolved around domestic economic matters.
What Were the Official Results?
The official results from almost 90 percent of voting centers across the country indicated that Mitsotakis’ party obtained slightly more than 40 percent of the vote. On the other hand, the left-wing Syriza party, his main rival, experienced a devastating loss with just under 18 percent of the vote. However, the second election experienced only a 52 percent voter turnout, compared to 61 percent from the first elections held in May.
Mitsotakis campaigned on achieving economic growth and political stability following Greece’s gradual recovery from a severe financial crisis that lasted nearly a decade. Alex Tsipras, his rival, served as prime minister from 2015 to 2019, during some of the more intense years of Greece’s economic crisis.
What Does President Mitsotakis Have Planned for the Future?
Despite the scandals that plagued the Mitsotakis administration in his first term—which involved the wiretapping of senior politicians and journalists and a deadly train crash that exposed inadequate safety measures in public transport—voters are willing to re-elect a prime minister who successfully achieved economic growth and reduced unemployment rates.
In a press conference shortly after his victory, President Mitsotakis vowed to bring “major reforms” to the public, judiciary, health, and education sectors. Additionally, he has promised to raise salaries, lower taxes, and improve infrastructure.
Sources & Further Reading
https://www.npr.org/2023/06/25/1184215591/greece-elections-conservative-new-democracy-party-wins
https://apnews.com/article/greece-elections-mitsotakis-prime-minister-44dc24e2287630910eb03e30449e2e93
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/greek-conservative-party-is-favored-to-win-majority-in-2nd-general-election-in-5-weeks#:~:text=ATHENS%2C%20Greece%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94,a%20second%20four%2Dyear%20term