The center-left SYRIZA won with a large margin in early parliamentary elections in Greece last Sunday, garnering more than 35 percent of votes, a mere 1 percent less than its result in the election past January.
The runner-up, center-right New Democracy with its 28 percent, had hoped to win after Prime Minister Tsipras was forced to give in to international creditors. Third came the ultra-right Golden Dawn with over 7 percent votes. PASOK is fourth, 6.28 percent. Communists with 5.55 percent can count on 15 parliamentary seats. POTAMI has 4.09 percent, Independent Greeks – 3.69 percent, and the Union of Centrists – 3.43 percent.
SYRIZA, now with 144 seats in the 300-seat parliament, cannot form the government on its own, just like it could not past January. Just like then, it will form a coalition government with Independent Greeks, which has 10 MPs. It was no coincidence, thus, that the leaders of both parties, Alexis Tsipras and Panos Kammenos, came together before their supporters to celebrate the victory.
“This is the people’s victory, we have fought a hard battle, but today I feel that I was right, because Greeks have given me a new mandate to further fight for our country, both at home and abroad,” said Tsipras. In his victory speech he mentioned the agreement with the creditors, which was contrary to his promises made in the previous campaign, and caused the loss of support of many fellow SYRIZA members. “My friends, the mandate which the Greek people have given us today is a clear indication that we must break the vicious circle of crime and corruption which have ruled the country all these years. We will show how effective we can be. We will make Greece the best and fair place for the weak and vulnerable,” emphasized Tsipras.
Observers mark that after the formation of the government, Tsipras’ major task will be to convince the creditors that Greece has met enough requirements to receive the next tranche of the bailout package.
European Parliament President Martin Schulz, France’s President Francois Hollande, Chancellor of Austria Werner Faymann, and the President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades were the first to call Tsipras to congratulate him on his victory. The leader of Cyprus also welcomed the “choice for stability.”
Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, in his congratulation message to Tsipras expressed a hope that the new government would be able to meet all the challenges his country faces, and would promote a constructive solution of the refugee crisis, ensuring a stable economic growth, and creating new jobs.
COMMENTARIES
Volodymyr SHKUROV, Ambassador of Ukraine to Greece (Athens):
“Tsipras, leader of the ruling SYRIZA party, had worked a lot in the run-up to the elections to win the trust of the Greek public, whose sympathies were not quite unequivocal on the eve of the voting. It must be also taken into account that Tsipras’ personal charisma played a great role in his victory: a considerable majority of Greek society trusts him, which allowed him to convince the voters and gain their confidence, as well as the mandate for the next four years.
“The choice of the Greek people shows that SYRIZA can rely on their support in implementing its agenda, in particular, what concerns countering corruption, as well as the provisions of the agreement signed with the international creditors. Obviously, Greece is entering a complicated period, when it must keep to the deals and programs, which it signed before. This, in its turn, will require Greeks to tighten the belts and experience several years of austerity. That SYRIZA is set to continue its war on corruption is proven by the setting up of relevant authorities in this sphere, as well as by growing efficiency of international cooperation in countering corruption.
“Concerning the new Greek government’s implementation of the announced reforms in the framework of financial bailout, as of today, the deal with international creditors is signed, and all the political parties in the parliament are acquainted with its key provisions. Some parliamentary parties, which officially called themselves opposition (New Democracy, PASOK-DIMAR, and POTAMI), declared their pro-European stand and emphasized that they would form a constructive opposition and control the fulfillment of the terms of the deal. Pro-European parties make up a majority in Greece’s parliament, which could mean progress along the path of reforms and the implementation of the deal signed with the European creditors.
“We hope that Greece will ratify the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement (hypothetically, in late October or early November this year).”
Giorgos PAVLOPOULOS, international news editor at Naftemporiki/naftemporiki.gr – P.ATHANASIADES & CO S.A., Athens:
“SYRIZA proved itself very efficient in playing the card of discrediting the old governing parties. He persuaded the voters that, despite his failure in ‘tearing up’ the bailout deals with the creditors of Greece, he represents a new, fresh political power that will battle corruption and punish those who were corrupt in the old political system.
“The Popular Unity party, which is the part of SYRIZA that came out against the Memorandum 3 deal, making a campaign in favor of a return to the drachma and for Greece to leave the eurozone, did not get the chance to be represented in parliament, because the Greek people considers the prospect of a currency change as a very dangerous one.
“The only thing Greeks expect from Tsipras is to apply the reforms of the third bailout deal in a more balanced way, thinking that his left-leaning roots will make him less severe on the cuttings.
“Tsipras has now a free hand to govern with the populist right of the Independent Greeks and he will do so, but he will shortly face problems because of the impact of the new stabilization measures he will have to take.
“He will try some renegotiations with the EU, but the margins are very strict, because of the state of emergency in which the Greek economy lies.”
George TZOGOPOULOS, Hellenic Foundation for European & Foreign Policy, Athens:
“SYRIZA won easily for two main reasons. First, it got support from people working in the huge Greek public sector, which has not been influenced by capital controls. And second it faced an opposition party (New Democracy) which could not provide a fresh alternative but criticizing SYRIZA.
“Regarding the future the good news is that most MPs in the new Greek Parliament are pro-EU. The bad news is that Tsipras does not believe in the memorandum he signed. This said, I believe that the European course of Greece will not be challenged but that sooner or later Tsipras will face important internal problems. And yes he will try to renegotiate as much as he can.”
