Greece will hold its second general election in a month on Sunday, marked by the migration issue following 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 only a hundred survivors found after a boat carrying about 750 people capsized, and created a climate of high tension between the two main candidates for an election victory. : the conservative Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the progressive Alexis Tsipras.
Tsipras – former head of government and leader of the Syriza opposition party – made no secret of his doubts about the Coast Guard’s version of the shipwreck and harshly criticized Mitsotakis’ immigration policy, accusing him of not making rescue of victims an “absolute priority”. ” to be considered. .
At a meeting, Mitsotakis – who is seeking re-election after four years leading the Greek government – thought it was “deeply unfair” that Tsipras and Syriza believe that the coast guards “did not do their job properly”.
“These are people fighting the waves to save lives and protect our borders,” said the Conservative leader, who defended his immigration policy, classifying it as “rigid but fair”, arguing that his government has succeeded in curbing migration flows significantly to Greece.
According to the most recent polls, Mitsotakis’ New Democracy (ND) party is expected to receive 41% of the vote, more than 20 points ahead of Syriza, which is expected to be 20%.
Voting intention percentages are almost identical to those obtained by the parties in the May 21 parliamentary election, although this time the Conservative leader needs just 39% to win an absolute majority in the 300-seat parliament.
This happens thanks to the bonus of up to 50 seats for the winning party, which was eliminated in the last election, as a result of which all attempts to form a government failed.
The election campaign was mainly dominated by issues related to migration, unemployment, which has already reached 12%, and a trade deficit that continues to worry Greeks, who still remember the effects of external financial intervention after the 2008 crisis.
Mitsotakis appeared before voters promising to finalize the reforms introduced by his government so that Greece’s economy continues to grow, saying it is fundamental for the country to approach Europe in terms of wages and living standards.
Tsipras defends an economy “that works for everyone” and – after his party’s defeat in May, when he lost a third of his electorate compared to 2019 – he is now calling for the vote for Syriza to have a “strong opposition party”.
There was no shortage of reasons to criticize Tsipras during the election campaign, pointing to the government’s inability to deal with the accumulated trade deficit and rising unemployment, especially among the youngest.
Source: DN
