Greece celebrates this Sunday its second general elections in a month, marked by the issue of migration after last week’s shipwreck in the Ionian Sea, but also by unemployment and the trade deficit.
The shipwreck was one of the most tragic migratory disasters in the Mediterranean, with barely a hundred survivors after the shipwreck carrying nearly 750 people, generating a climate of high tension between the two main candidates for victory in the elections. legislative elections next Sunday: the conservative Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the progressive Alexis Tsipras.
Tsipras – former head of government and leader of the opposition Syriza party – did not hide his doubts about the Coast Guard’s version of the sinking and harshly criticized Mitsotakis’ immigration policy, accusing him of not treating the rescue of the victims as an “absolute priority”. “.
During a rally, Mitsotakis – who is seeking re-election after leading the Greek government for four years – considered “very unfair” that Tsipras and Syriza assume that the coast guards “did not do their job well.”
“These are people who are fighting against the tide to save lives and protect our borders,” said the conservative leader, who defended his immigration policy, calling it “rigid but fair,” arguing that his government has managed to significantly reduce migration flows. to Greece.
According to the most recent polls, Mitsotakis’ New Democracy (ND) party is expected to win 41% of the vote, more than 20 points ahead of Syriza, which is expected to reach 20%.
The percentages of intention to vote are almost identical to those obtained by the parties in the legislative elections on May 21, although this time the conservative leader only needs 39% to obtain an absolute majority in the 300-seat parliament.
This happens thanks to the bonus of up to 50 seats for the winning party, which had been eliminated in the last elections, which ended up making all attempts to form a government fail.
The electoral campaign was essentially dominated by issues related to migration, unemployment, which is already at 12%, and a trade deficit that continues to worry Greeks, who still remember the effects of external financial intervention after the 2008 crisis.
Appearing before voters, Mitsotakis vowed to finalize the reforms implemented by his government to keep the Greek economy growing, saying it is essential for the country to move closer to Europe in terms of wages and living standards.
Tsipras defends an economy “that works for everyone” and – after the defeat of his party in May, when he lost a third of his electorate compared to 2019 – now calls for the vote for Syriza to remain a “strong opposition party”.
Reasons were not lacking to criticize Tsipras during the electoral campaign, pointing out the inability of the Government to face the accumulated trade deficit and the increase in unemployment, especially among the youngest.
Source: TSF
