Elections in Greece 2023

 The recent elections in Greece, in May 2023, were crucial for all political parties, but most crucial for the Greeks. The results would define not only the immediate future, but most likely the future of at least 2-3 generations, if Greece can make it that long.

And this is why the results surprised many Greeks. First of all 40% of the people didn't go to vote, which was a very high percentage, given the importance of the elections, using for the first time (after decades) a system of elections, which would not favour the first party with a bonus of many extra seats in the parliament. This way more parties would be easier to enter the parliament and help make a better representative base to voice more people's views. But it wasn't meant to happen. 

By the way, the 40% of people that didn't go to vote, was similar, if slightly smaller than the previous elections. This means that the pool of voters that smaller parties expected to get votes from, simply didn't behave as expected and didn't show up at all.  So there were no new smaller parties entering the parliament. As a matter of fact, less parties entered than the previous parliament term.

 The governing party New Democracy (ND) , despite an unsuccessful term, that has deepen the chasm between rich and poor,  sold out crucial public assets, like the electric company, repeatedly tried to sell the public water companies and lied about it just before the elections, was responsible for the biggest  train accident in recent Greek history, made public services, such as health, education, pensions,  inaccessible and inferior with a clear plan to privatize them, changed the laws that protected people's home from vulture funds and to top it all made the public and private deficit higher than ever, somehow didn't seem to bother the remaining 40% of the voters that  voted for them. Another 16% of the votes went to smaller parties that did not enter the parliament, because none reached the 3% threshold, that is set, for a party to enter the parliament. 

The 40% was the biggest of the surprises, but there were two more. After all if you take into account the abstinence of 40%, which can be seen as a protest, the white and not valid votes, its total percentage is nearly 20%.    The second party, Syriza, which was elected twice back in 2015 and governed until 2019, plummeted. It received 20% of the votes, seemingly losing voters that went  on to vote for everybody else but them . This was a surprise due to its large volume, because otherwise it was somehow expected. Syriza was a small party, 10-15 years ago, that got gigantic because of the despair the policies of the -then- two strong parties created, giving hope to people. But nothing was realized. On top of that, their decision to sign the Prespes agreement that recognized the county on our northern borders as North Macedonia, was a huge political and diplomatic mistake which the majority of people recognized as such. 

The third ugly surprise was that the PASOK  party got over 10% of the votes. PASOK, was the ruling party for nearly 22 years since 1981 when Greece entered the EU. It is considered by many to be the party responsible for the terrible situation of Greece, today. This was reflected on the votes it got, since its last win in 2009. Rapidly it lost power, got third place behind Syriza and eventually got less than 5% in January 2015 elections. Many thought that would be the end of it, but surprisingly it got to double digits again, during this election. 

The element that make all three surprises so bad, is that all the aforementioned  parties, shared many common people in their ranks, that jumped ship from one to the other, or were recruited from smaller parties that were initially opposing. As a result, the parties  do not express the will and interests of the majority of the people, make decisions for crucial parts of the way of life, without performing referendums (especially for national issues), and with results that hurt most people while favoring a few rich families. 

The same names and faces that ruled for 40 years and  brought Greece to her knees, now claim that they will save us.  

Most importantly, all these ups and downs of the parties point to the sad realization that no ideologies are alive. Everything is dictated and enforced, depending on plans that are harmful for the people. Politicians, regard as great success the selling of the public assets, that brought wealth in Greece. Now big companies got them and the extra money - from the new inflated bills - go straight to the pockets of the private companies, that are exempt from many taxes and from liability.   

Since no party got enough votes to form a stable government and no one seemed to want to try to form a coalition government,  on the 25th of June 2023 the second election will take place.  

God help us all.