ND-backed incumbents in Athens, Thessaloniki soundly defeated; ND ‘rebel’ candidates win most of remaining regional governor seats

The second round of local government elections in Greece on Sunday saw ruling New Democracy (ND) party-backed candidates lose the municipal races in Athens and Thessaloniki, as well as in five out of the six regional governor seats up for grabs.

Nevertheless, candidates that are ND party cadres ND or backed by the center-right party had picked up seven out of the 13 regional governors’ seats last Sunday, while on the second Sunday four of the five candidates in the regional races were from within the party’s ranks, but running against an officially backed candidate.

The local government election was characterized by record low turnout, gauged at just over 30 percent of total eligible voters. The turnout last Sunday, Oct. 8, was 42.6 percent.

At the same time, the candidates – both incumbents – backed by ND for the Athens and Thessaloniki, were soundly defeated.

In Athens, the biggest, most populous and most prestigious municipality in the country, contender Haris Doukas, who was officially backed by socialist PASOK and in the second round by other political groupings, easily defeated incumbent Costas Bakoyannis, taking 55.97 percent of the second-round vote to the latter’s 44.03 percent.

The result was the most painful for the ruling party, as Bakoyannis’ is the nephew of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, with the latter coming off a landslide re-election last June. He’s also the son of former foreign minister and herself Athens mayor Dora Bakoyannis.

In the northern port city of Thessaloniki, contender Stylianos Aggeloudis trounced incumbent Constantinos Zervas, who was backed by ND, by taking 67.31 percent of the second-round vote, to 32.64 percent for the latter.

The incumbent mayor in the port city of Piraeus, Yannis Moralis, was re-elected last Sunday, easily overcoming the 43-percent threshold for election.
In a statement before cameras after the results were more-or-less finalized, Mitsotakis merely said his government’s duty is to cooperate with all newly elected office-holders, while adding: “It wasn’t a particularly good night for ND… Participation was particularly low, which should concern us all.”

Referring to possible “political messages”, he said the “government should continue to receive them at any given time.”