On the Eve of Greek Parliamentary Elections...

• 09.11.2015, 18:30
•  Europe,  World

Before early parliamentary elections in Greece, scheduled for September 20, political party leaders held a televised debate on six rounds: economy, development, unemployment problem, education, health, governance, social policy, foreign policy and defense, and the last, but not least, migration policy (the problem of which has become one of the most acute in the Greek policy, and is in active use by the parties in their election campaigns).

According to experts, these debates could be decisive in the results of the Greek elections, since according to recent polls almost 15 percent of Greeks have not yet decided for whom to vote.

It should be noted that the Supreme Court of Greece (Areopagus) took the application for participation in the parliamentary elections of September 20 from 19 parties and five party groups. However, according to opinion polls, none of them will be able to form a majority in the Parliament.

Despite the fact that there is less than two weeks before the election, there is still no leader in the pre-electoral race. It should be noted that according to the same polls, the parliament will be presented by 8 or 9 parties. According to the survey, with a difference of 0.5%,  the first and second positions are shared by the radical left SYRIZA coalition and the center-right "New Democracy". In the third place is the ultra-right "Golden Dawn" with 5.5% of votes, followed by the center-left PASOK party (5.3%), the Communist Party of Greece (5%), the party of "Potami" (4.6%), a split from SYRIZA movement "National Unity" (4%), the Union of Centrists (3.2%) and the "Independent Greeks" (3%).

In such circumstances, the coalition government for Greece is an imminent prospect. This is what has become one of the main themes of the campaign. Tsipras said that he is ready to cooperate with all the parties except the "New Democracy" and PASOK. In turn, the LP stated that they are ready in case of victory to form a government with all the parties.

It should be noted that the main theme of the campaign, as expected, became the possible measures to overcome the economic crisis in Greece. Tsipras continues to assert that the latest agreement with the creditors was the only alternative for Athens, stressing that SYRIZA is not to blame for the Greek economic crisis, as it has never before been represented in the government. 41.9% of respondents were positive about the activities of Tsipras.