An annual end-of-the-year verbal “battle royale” in Greece’s Parliament on the occasion of debate and a vote for the state budget was particularly prickly on Saturday, amid the ongoing pandemic and its repercussions, as well as a sudden shake-up on the political landscape due to a leadership change at the helm of the successor formation of once dominant PASOK party.
Highlights of Saturday’s debate, beyond the expected ratification of the draft budget by a majority of ruling party (New Democracy) deputies, were the first demand for early elections by the main opposition (leftist SYRIZA), and controversy of a recently published study on mortality rates and intensive care units in Greece. The latter issue has been prominently raised by the opposition, replete with sharp criticism that the Mitsotakis government did not spend enough to take measures to increase and improve ICUs in the country.
Specifically, 158 deputies in the 300-MP Parliament voted in favor of the 2022 draft budget; 142 voted against.
Failure to ratify the draft budget would have essentially acted as a “no confidence” vote, possibly leading to a snap election.
MPs from the lesser opposition parties KINAL and Hellenic Solution (Elliniki Lysi) voted in favor of defense-related spending, along with an independent MP, i.e. 191 “yea” votes to 109 against.
KINAL is the successor to once dominant socialist PASOK party, while Elliniki Lysi is a populist, right-of-center party formed and led by television pitchman Kyriakos Velopoulos.
In response to a demand that he stepped down and call a snap election, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis dismissed the call by his main political rival, former premier Alexis Tsipras, saying that after 27 months since the July 2019 election, the politician that most would benefit from an early ballot would be himself, and not Tsipras.
In alluding to his party’s continued, and mostly double-digit, lead in various mainstream opinion polls, Mitsotakis said he was often tempted in the past to declare a snap election, “certain of a better result for ND compared to the July 2019 election… But I didn’t take this decision, because we’re not the same; an abyss divides us in terms of responsibility vis-à-vis the country’s needs…”
Mitsotakis also attributed Tsipras’ sudden demand for a snap election to the fact that the latter is concerned of falling behind KINAL party over the roughly next two years until a scheduled general election is held.
One of the off-podium highlights of the day, in fact, was a meeting in a Parliament corridor between Mitsotakis and the newly elected KINAL leader, MEP Nikos Androulakis, with the former congratulating the 42-year-old political leader for his victory, this time in person.
The erstwhile leftist firebrand Tsipras, who swept to power in January 2015 on the back of a virulent anti-bailout and anti-austerity backlash amongst voters, practically exhausted his four-year mandate – short by three or four months – and lost in a landslide in July 2019. Tsipras and his leftist SYRIZA trailed in the polls for all four years and then lost convincingly to ND in local government and European Parliament elections in May and June 2019.
Latest News
Athens Int’l Airport Wins Top Prize at Routes Europe Awards
The Routes business is focused entirely on aviation route development and the company's portfolio includes events, media and online businesses
IOBE: Income Gap Between Poor and Wealthy Greeks Widens
The findings in the analysis, entitled “Progressivity in Income Taxation in Greece, 2012-2021", paint a bleak picture for Greeks in the bottom half of the income bracket, warning that income inequality is growing
Study Finds 4 in 10 Greeks to Slash Easter Spending
This year, hit by persistent inflation, many Greeks will be dishing out less on food, drink and gifts for Orthodox Easter on May 5
ELSTAT: Overnight Stays in Greece Up in Feb.
The provisional monthly data revealed that arrivals at tourist accommodations amounted to 773,104 and overnight stays were 1,677,685
Electric Energy: Greece’s New Sustainable Export
Moreover, a surplus of generated electricity cannot be fully absorbed by domestic grids and this excess power finds eager buyers in the form of companies entering into Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), willing to pay a premium for clean energy
IOBE Revises Greek GDP Growth Downward, to 2.1% For 2024
Annual inflation is expected to reach 3%, up from the previous forecast of 2.8%
Last Sections of 136km E65 Highway Inaugurated on Tues.
Athens to Karditsa drive time is expected to drop to two and a half hours (under normal conditions), and some three hours from Athens to Trikala
Reuters: Greece to Repay More Bailout Loans Ahead of Maturity in 2023
The country has relied solely on international markets for its borrowing needs since a third institutional bailout ended in 2018
Ag Min. Avgenakis: Greece-China Cooperation in Research, Education in Agri-Food Sector
Greek minister tours cutting-edge hydroponics and robotics facilities at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Beijing
Mini Holiday Season in Greece for Upcoming Orthodox Easter
Occupancy rates reach up to 90% domestically for accommodations open ahead of peak summer season