A new “augury” by Kyriakos Mitsotakis, even if it was captured fleetingly, triggered the scenario for the peak election time in April, while the discussions were stirred up even more by the statements of Recep Tayyip Erdogan that “point” to Turkish polls in May. Under the instructions of Mitsotakis, his party’s mechanism is raising the pace of the electoral organization anyway and has April 9 as its first stop (few are betting on April 2), even if, waiting for the Prime Minister’s decisions, the last three Sundays of May remain circled as possible election days.
Two days after the Prime Minister told party officials about a first election “either in April or May” and “4-5 weeks between the first and second ballot”, came 12 words interpreted as a “snapshot” of the Prime Minister’s thoughts. “I want to go to Olympus in May (…) after the elections we will climb” he said in a casual conversation with a mountain climber in the Municipality of Korydallos.
“Doesn’t this time require a mountain for important decisions?” asked jokingly one New Democracy official, supporting elections to be held the soonest possible. The April 9 “camp” interpreted Mitsotakis’s recent asides in conjunction with the developments in Turkey, considering the possibility of parallel electoral contests: if the battle of the simple proportionality in Greece was fought on April 9, then the ballot box for the enhanced proportionality bout could be set up on May 14, i.e. in the first round, as everything shows, of the Turkish elections.
Prime ministerial associates emphasize that “temporal elements” will influence decisions on election time while, in relation to Turkey, the government representative confirmed the day before yesterday that developments are being evaluated against the background of Ankara’s prolonged provocative rhetoric. However, government spokesman Yannis Economou tried to play down the tone at the same time, pointing out that “it would be good to avoid a dramatization that something bad will happen during that time”.
And while those who recommend April for the first ballot and May for the second prevail, exorcising a longer… more exhausting course that has started since last autumn, there are still formulations in favor of the end of spring.
Devotees of the scenario support the prospect of May with concrete arguments: it will reduce any risks that the caretaker government would have to manage vis-à-vis Turkey, after its own pre-election period has ended, Mitsotakis’s institutional commitment will be strengthened with an absolute exhaustion of four years , the tourist season will already be running, the new increase (as of April 1) of the minimum wage will have been recorded for good, etc. What is certain is that the PM’s office is asking for “readiness” at any time (and) for April and, while New Democracy cadres are investing in the space they currently maintain as shown by polls, personally Mitsotakis is defining target commitments for the next four years. Using as his motto, as he repeated from the second electoral district of Piraeus, “better wages”.
Latest News
HSBC, Goldman Sachs Positive on Greek Economy
Goldman Sachs sees an upgrade of the Greek stock market
Greek Easter 1.5bln-Euro Turnover Satisfies Retailers
This year’s Orthodox Easter coincided with the beginning of the summer tourist season, resulting in a 15% increase in tourist traffic in downtown Athens
President von der Leyen’s Campaign Website Attacked by Bots
The President of the European Commission announced the attack, which comes one month before European Parliament elections and following a series of media reports about Russian-led disinformation campaigns, on her X account
MEPs Rake in ‘Whopping’ €8.7 mln in Side Gigs – Transparency Intl
The report opens a "can of worms" about the potential for foreign governments to influence MEPs and notes that Greece's MEPs rank the 3rd highest for their generation of side income
Greece Reacts Sternly to Turkish Decision to Open UNESCO Site Chora Church as a Muslim Mosque
"The decision of the Turkish authorities to start the operation of the Monastery of Chora as a Muslim Mosque constitutes a provocation to the international community", the Greek Foreign Ministry stated
DW: Greece Prepares for the 2024 Tourist Season Amid Climate Change Challenges
The Greek state has adopted measures to alleviate the impact of climate change
Greco-French Relations on Ice: Exploring the Chill between Mitsotakis and Macron
Macron allegedly sought increased military support for Ukraine, including weaponry and Western troop deployment for training in Western Ukraine, a request declined by Mitsotakis
Greece Secures Stable Tourism Flows at 30 Million Arrivals
However, despite this year’s bookings projected to rise slightly compared to last year, Yiannis Hatzis, President of the Panhellenic Federation of Hoteliers, stresses the importance of strategic planning
The 12 Tourist Traps to Avoid in the Greek Islands
Visit less popular islands for cheaper prices and fewer crowds
German Min. Lemke: «Climate crisis poses immediate threat to our health; well-being»
Europe recorded more days of “extreme heat stress” (with the ‘feels like’ temperature exceeding 46 degrees Celsius) than ever before