Abstention in the Greek elections: do Greeks really not care?

According to the official figures of the Ministry of Interior, only 62.47% of Greeks actually voted in the June 17 elections. Participation was hardly better on 06 May, at 65.1%. Various commentators in Greece and abroad intepreted this high abstention rate in what was unanimously called "the most crucial elections in Greece since 1974" as a lack of interest in the political process or even a wholesale rejection of the political class. However, these figures are challenges by a simple fact: the number of people who are actually living in Greece.

Did one in two Greek policemen really vote for Golden Dawn?

A lot has been said about the fact that large numbers of Greek policemen are supporters and voters of the neo-nazi party Golden Dawn. The first publication of this sort in a mainstream newspaper was an article by Vasilis Lambropoulos in To Vima on 11 May 2012, where he concluded that data from specific polling stations where policemen vote showed that some 50% of policemen had actually voted for Golden Dawn in the 06 May elections. Today, Lambropoulos published another article, saying that this tendency had been confirmed in the 17 June elections.

Urgent meeting in PASOK headquarters

Το κείμενο είναι σε ελληνικά και αγγλικά
Edit: alterthess.gr Translation: inflammatory


In light of recent developments, Venizelos invited his close aides for a meeting to make final decisions of critical importance regarding the broader efforts to form a new government. A. Loverdos, M. Chrisochoidis, A. Diamantopoulou, K. Scandalidis, P. Efthimiou, M. Androulakis and F. Gennimata will join. 
The topics under discussion include everything raised by Samaras and Kouvelis (Democratic Left) to the Head of PASOK, who attempts to bring on board Kouvelis' argument against the aspect where Loverdos and Chrisochoidis would be appointed of ministerial posts they used to hold during previous government.
Everything shows though that PASOK members will join a coalition. 

Οι ελληνικές εκλογές από Ισπανική σκοπιά

από τον @mpatman

Δευτέρα 18 Ιουνίου 2012, μια ημέρα μετά την ανάδειξη της ΝΔ ως νικήτριας των Ελληνικών εκλογών. Ένα αποτέλεσμα που εκτός απο τους Έλληνες, το περίμενε όλη η Ευρώπη και ειδικά η Ισπανία που πλέον βρίσκεται για τα καλά στο κέντρο του κυκλώνα της κρίσης. 


Όλη την προηγούμενη εβδομάδα, μετά την ανακοίνωση της διάσωσης των Ισπανικών Τραπέζων απο την Ευρώπη (χωρίς ακόμα να έχουν γίνει γνωστές οι πλήρεις λεπτομέρειες), ολόκληρος ο Ισπανικός τύπος πανηγύριζε για την διάσωση του τραπεζικού συστήματος. Οι "αγορές" τους επανέφεραν αμέσως στην πραγματικότητα, με την άνοδο των επιτοκίων των 10ετών Ισπανικών ομολόγων σε ιστορικά ύψη. Τότε ξεκίνησε η αιτιολογία και απο την Ισπανική Κυβέρνηση αλλά και απο το σύνολο του Ισπανικού τύπου, οτι το πρόβλημα ήταν η ανασφάλεια που προκαλούσε το αποτέλεσμα των Ελληνικών Εκλογών και η πιθανότητα νίκης του ΣΥΡΙΖΑ, μια νίκη που θα προκαλούσε σύμφωνα με αυτούς την έξοδο της Ελλάδος απο την ευρωζώνη. 


Σήμερα, μια μέρα μετά την διεξαγωγή των Ελληνικών εκλογών όλος ο Ισπανικός τύπος χρησιμοποίησε την λέξη "ανάσα" στα πρωτοσέλιδα του. Όλα τα πρωτοσέλιδα των Ισπανικών εφημερίδων είχαν εκτενή αναφορά στις Ελληνικές εκλογές συνοδεύομενες απο φωτογραφίες του νικητή των εκλογών Αντώνη Σαμαρά. Αλλά αυτό που χρήζει ιδιαίτερης αναφοράς είναι οτι 4 απο τις εφημερίδες με εθνική κυκλοφορία (El País, El Correo, La Gaceta, ABC) κυκλοφόρησαν με τον ίδιο ακριβώς τίτλο "Η Ελλάδα δίνει ανάσα στην Ευρώπη". Απο εφημερίδες που "ανήκουν" στο χώρο της κεντροαριστεράς, μέχρι εφημερίδες της πατριωτικής δεξιάς. Για ακόμα μια φορά αυτή η αναμενόμενη ανάσα απο το αποτέλεσμα των Ελληνικών εκλογών αποδείχτηκε μέσα σε λίγες ώρες φρούδη ελπίδα, αφού οι "αγορές" δεν ηρέμησαν καθόλου, και τα Ισπανικά 10ετή ομόλογα εκτινάχτηκαν στο 7,21%, σπάζοντας κάθε προηγούμενο ρεκορ. 


Τέλος, η ανάλυση του Ισπανικού τύπου για τις Ελληνικές εκλογές θα συνοψιζόταν στην εξής φράση "Η Ελλάδα σε αυτή την κρίσιμη στιγμή έχει να επιλέξει ανάμεσα σε έναν κλέφτη και έναν τρελό". Η Ελλάδα τελικά επέλεξε τον "κλέφτη", και οι αγορές συνεχίζουν να τιμωρούν την Ισπανική Κυβέρνηση.  

LIVE BLOG on Greek elections, June 17

01:50 Election Results in a nutshell 
Here's a recap of the day's main highlights

• Check here the latest official updates on election results from Ministry of Interior's webpage.
• As there is no outright winner securing 151 seats, leader of pro-bailout "New Democracy" A. Samaras, will receive a formal mandate from President Karolos Papoulias on Monday morning to form a coalition government. Some members estimate that might get back individual support from ex-comrades who switched to Independent Greeks thus putting its cohesiveness at risk.
• Although physical assaults on left-wing politicians and immigrants made headlines, it seems that neonazi Golden Dawn's voters are engaged with the party's rhetoric and practices.
• Communist Party KKE has hit a record low.
• A few who voted for right-wing anti-bailout Independent Greeks during last elections switched to Syriza and New Democracy, dropping down the party's rating.
• Although left-wing Syriza came second, the party managed to raise the percentage of the vote from 4,6% in 2009 to 27,1% in 2012. Syriza has rejected any coalition with a pro-bailout party.
• PASOK is keen to join forces with New Democracy, Syriza and Democratic Left with Venizelos apparently denying that Syriza's collaboration is a strong prerequisite. 

Διαδήλωση αλληλεγγύης προς την Ελλάδα στις Βρυξέλλες

Περισσότεροι από 1000 άνθρωποι συμμετείχαν στο συλλαλητήριο το απόγευμα της 13ης Ιουνίου στις Βρυξέλλες, διαδηλώνοντας την αλληλεγγύη τους προς τον ελληνικό λαό και τον αγώνα του ενάντια στη λιτότητα, με αφορμή τις εκλογές της 17ης Ιουνίου. Κοινό σύνθημα μεταξύ των 32 οργανώσεων και συνδικάτων που καλούσαν στην κινητοποίηση, αλλά και όλων των ανθρώπων που συμμετείχαν, ήταν πως ο αγώνας του ελληνικού λαού είναι αγώνας όλης της Ευρώπης ενάντια στις ασκούμενες νεοφιλελεύθερες πολιτικές. Η πορεία ήταν πλούσια σε συμμετοχή και έντονη σε παλμό. Αξίζει να σημειωθεί πως είναι η πρώτη φορά που ενώνονται όλες οι αριστερές οργανώσεις μαζί με τα συνδικάτα σε ένα κοινό κάλεσμα, στο Βέλγιο.

Μεταξύ των εκπροσώπων κομμάτων, οργανώσεων και συνδικάτων που έλαβαν το λόγο στην αρχή της κινητοποίησης, ήταν και εκπρόσωπος του Σύριζα: η τοποθέτησή του εδώ.

Εκδηλώσεις αλληλεγγύης προς την Ελλάδα από την Ευρώπη

To σκίτσο φιλοτεχνήθηκε από την
Πρωτοβουλία Αλληλεγγύης της Ολλανδίας

Καθώς πλησιάζουν οι εκλογές, πληθαίνουν οι εκδηλώσεις αλληλεγγύης προς την Ελλάδα, σε διάφορες ευρωπαϊκές χώρες.

Τη Δευτέρα 11 Ιουνίου, στη Λιέγη, η Cadtm διοργάνωσε συζήτηση σχετικά με την πολιτική συγκυρία στην Ελλάδα, την κρίση χρέους και τις επικείμενες εκλογές. Η βραδιά θεωρείται πολύ επιτυχημένη απο τους διοργανωτές.

Σήμερα, στις Βρυξέλλες και το Βερολίνο διοργανώνονται ταυτόχρονα συγκεντρώσεις και πορείες διαμαρτυρίας. Στις 6.00 μμ (τοπική), Έλληνες και Βέλγοι θα συγκεντρωθούν μπροστά στο χρηματιστήριο και θα κατευθυνθούν προς την Ελληνική πρεσβεία, με ενδιάμεσες στάσεις στα γραφεία του Σοσιαλιστικού κόμματος και στο Βέλγιο Υπουργείο Εξωτερικών. Μετά την ολοκλήρωση της πορείας, θα πραγματοποιηθούν συνελεύσεις. Σημειώνεται πως στην κινητοποίηση συμμετέχουν όλες οιοργανώσεις της αριστεράς, τα δύο μεγάλα βέλγικα συνδικάτα και οι Αγανακρισμένοι.

Την ίδια ώρα, στο Βερολίνο θα πραγματοποιηθεί συγκέντρωση και διαμαρτυρία μπροστά στην καγκελαρία.

Απόψε στο Παρίσι, η διαδικτυακή εφημερίδα Mediapart διοργανώνει βραδιά αλληλεγγύης προς την Ελλάδα και συναυλία της Angélique Ionatos στο Théâtre de la Ville στις 9.00 μμ. Κεντρικό σύνθημα της βραδιάς, ο στίχος του Οδυσσέα Ελύτη "και θα λάβουν τα όνειρα εκδίκηση". Μπορείτε να παρακολουθήσετε το γεγονός ζωντανά από το site της Mediapart. Περισσότερες πληροφορίες, στα γαλλικά, εδώ.

Το Σάββατο 16 Ιουνίου  στις 3.00 μμ θα πραγματοποιηθεί επίσης συγκέντρωση αλληελεγγυης και πορεία στο Άμστερνταμ.

Tην Κυριακή 17 Ιουνίου, ημέρα των εκλογών, κινητοποίηση έχει προγραμματιστεί και στο Λονδίνο, μπροστά στην Αντιπροσωπεία της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής.

The pre-electoral commitments that shape the “electoral polarization” in this June’s elections.

The shaping of the pre-electoral landscape concludes with the final pitch of the leaders of the two parties which theoretically and practically, have a claim to power on June 18. Under the circumstances, PASOK has to a large extent withdrawn from the battle for leadership and is reserving for itself –as expressed by the statements of its leader Evangelos Venizelos– a regulatory role. The same goes for the Democratic Left which has also stated its intention to participate in a coalition government.

The rupture between Samaras (leader of conservative New Democracy) and Tsipras (the leader of left wing SYRIZA) reached a climax with the presentation of their pre-electoral commitments on Thursday and Friday respectively, thus shaping a new polarization around the dilemmas which they put forward clearly: “Memorandum or Drachma” and “Memorandum or Syriza.”

What follows is a detailed juxtaposition, on a point by point basis, of these commitments.


The original post in Greek was posted by @galaxyarchis here. A French translation is available on Okeanews. 

PASOK's downfall and the attempts to stay afloat

Say hello to a new era where PASOK's ability to rule with a comfortable parliamentary advantage is over. With the repudiation of austerity policies at the ballot box, it saw its vote plummeting from 43.9% in the last elections to 13.2%. "PASOK is rotten" said its leader -Evangelos Venizelos- to his aides, highlighting the need for readjustment as many of those sustaining the party's state electoral clientèle -nurtured by favoritism, contracts, and subventions- seem to "abandon the ship". With perks cutbacks under the bailout agreements, high-profile members of major trade union bodies cut ties with the party, while others move around on the political spectrum, seeking shelter with hints of electoral success. 

Το οικονομικό μανιφέστο του ΣΥΡΙΖΑ

Από εννέα άξονες αποτελείται ο «κορμός» του οικονομικού - κοινωνικού μανιφέστου του ΣΥΡΙΖΑ, πάνω στο οποίο θα βασιστεί το επικαιροποιημένο και βελτιωμένο κατά τα στελέχη της Κουμουνδούρου, οικονομικό πρόγραμμα του Συνασπισμού της Αριστεράς.
Η συνολική παρουσίαση του προγράμματος θα πραγματοποιηθεί την Παρασκευή 1η Ιουνίου το μεσημέρι στην Αθηναΐδα από τον Αλέξη Τσίπρα.


Αναλυτικά οι άξονες του για τα «κρίσιμα ζητήματα» είναι:

Τsipras gets the international treatment: non-Greek media coverage of the leader of SYRIZA focuses on the man, not the message

It has been only two weeks since Alexis Tsipras was thrust into the international political limelight after leading the Coalition of the Radical Left-SYRIZA party to a surprising second place in Greece’s May 6 election and major media outlets in Europe and the United States have been hosting a slew of articles about him, in an attempt to piece together a coherent narrative.

This post is also available in French on Okeanews. 

Who's who in Greek politics: the radicalization of the right

In the past few days, there have been so many changes, transfers, counter-transfers and mergers on the Greek political scene that it has all become a little confusing, even for experienced observers of Greek politics. While this phenomenon can be interpreted as simple, cheap politicking by individuals seeking to secure their re-election in June, careful examination of the backgrounds of some politicians also reveals a worrying tendency to mainstream and trivialize the opinions and positions of personnalities who, by all reasonable standards, belong to the extreme-right.

The vanishing positions of Dimiourgia Xana on immigration

On 20 May 2012, Stefanos Manos announced that his party Drassi (Action) would be joining forces with Thanos Tzimeros's party Dimiourgia Xana (Recreate Greece) for the upcoming elections in Greece. These two parties secured respectively 1.8% and 2.15% of the vote in the 06 May elections, and can hope together to reach the required 3% to enter parliament. 

Greek elections: the politics behind failure and the challenges ahead of success

There was media frenzy over fruitless coalition talks and the "last-ditch efforts" to form the so-called "government of prominent personalities". Following Papademos leadership, the option of having unelected technocrats in government again, was under consideration. With the tyranny of pragmatism enslaving politics and society, fully trained economists are seen more competent to spot the right policies. They are supposed to have the skills and experience to ensure successful execution of EU guidelines and maintain effectiveness in a financial environment of ambiguity. Is there any clear evidence to support that? The euro for instance, was launched without significant political institutions behind it, which was not proved to be very clever. However the prospect of a second round of elections, was expected to bring havoc anyway. Under edgy circumstances,  voting -the backbone of democracy- is considered lethal. No need to wonder which section of society might feel threatened when people have their say for their own matters. Apparently a caretaker prime minister took over until elections in June, with a possible "Grexit" making headlines at the moment.

The meeting between the President of the Republic and political leaders on 14/05/2012

Below is an English-language summary of the transcript of the meeting held on 14/05/2012 between the President of the Republic, Karolos Papoulias, and the leaders of Nea Demokratia (Antonis Samaras), PASOK (Evangelos Venizelos) and Democratic Left (Fotis Kouvelis) in an attempt to form a coalition government. This meeting took place after talks held on 13/05/2012 failed to secure a majority coalition in parliament. SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras was invited to this meeting but refused to attend. 
The original minutes published on the presidency website can be found here.

Leak exposes Panos Kammenos of Independent Greeks

Panos Kammenos, the leader of right-wing anti-bailout party Independent Greeks, categorically denied allegations of handing over a written confirmation to the Head of State, Karolos Papoulias, that his party would back (for a few months) any coalition government in case of national security urgency.


The document was uploaded yesterday on enikos.gr website, run by journalist Nikos Chatzinikolaou, portraying in a nutshell the party's key proposals and requests for government positions, depending on how developments unfold. The paper was supposed to circulate among the rest of the leaders for their consideration. Press representative of Greece's Communist party, Makis Maelis, also confirmed the incident on Ant1 TV. 


Kammenos argued there is lack of evidence to support that the document belongs to Independent Greeks, since it's not signed and without a protocol number.
Inflammatory

The meetings between the President of the Republic and political party leaders on 13/05/2012

Below is an English-language summary of the transcripts of the meetings held on 13/05/2012 between the President of the Republic, Karolos Papoulias, and the leaders of all the political parties that were elected to parliament following the 06/05/2012 elections, in an attempt to form a coalition government. Papoulias first met with the leaders of the three largest parties (Nea Demokratia, SYRIZA and PASOK) and then proceeded to individual meetings with the leaders of the Independent Greeks, the Communist Party, Golden Dawn and Democratic Left.
The original minutes published by the presidency can be found here.

The day after elections: all the latest developments

With more than two years of cuts, layoffs, unemployment and…suicides’ rising toll, Greeks expressed their resentment over the political establishment yesterday, in what appeared to be one of the most low-key general elections.  There were no massive rallies, not excessive use of promotional material whilst for the first time, socialist PASOK and conservative New Democracy avoided setting up in public space their pre-election campaign kiosks, in case passersby attempt to destroy them.

From the beginning, it appeared unlikely for any political party to win a majority. Some believe that the election results officially dropped the final curtain on polity, the time period from 1974 onward, where PASOK and New Democracy succeeded each other in power. With many voters backing small parties and left-wing Syriza achieving its best result ever with sweeping gains in constituencies that traditionally belonged to rivals, there is a merit on that assumption.

The Greek electoral system in brief

In Greek elections, voters select the ballot paper of the political party of their choice, then tick the names of those candidates they support (between 1 and 4, depending on the size of the constituency).
Blank and spoilt ballot papers are not counted.
Parties must earn at least 3% of valid votes to enter parliament. For those who pass the 3% threshold, 250 of the 300 seats are allocated on a strictly proportional basis. The remaining 50 seats are allocated as a "bonus" to the party that obtains the highest number of votes nationwide.
A party or coalition needs 151 seats to secure a majority in parliament and be able to form a government.
To determine the percentage of nationwide votes needed to secure a majority, you should deduct from 100% the percentage of valid votes obtained by parties who did not reach the 3% threshold and multiply the percentage left by 0.404.
Example:
If parties who did not reach the 3% threshold obtained 8.5% of all valid votes nationwide, the minimum percentage of votes needed to secure a majority in parliament is

(100%-8.5%)*0.404 = 36.96%

32 parties competing in Greek elections

There have been only a few hours left for Greece to hold one of its most important general elections in decades. As the two major pro-bailout parties, PASOK & New Democracy which have been ruling the country for the last 30 years, struggle to get a 40% of the votes together, smaller parties are expected to shine through. In fact for the first time, eight to ten parties are expected to elect deputies in the 300-seat parliament.The following list shows 32 registered parties (and their leader) that compete