Exactly eight months after the European elections and only two and a half years after the last general elections, 9.8 million Greeks are once again being asked to cast their vote in what may be the most important elections in modern Greek political history.
The senior governing coalition partner New Democracy and Greek leftist opposition party Syriza (Coalition of the Radical left) are the main candidates in a race which may already have been decided. Since the Greek parliament failed to elect a new president at the end of last year, polls have predicted that Syriza is the party most likely to win: its lead ranging from 3.1 to 6.5 percent. According to the latest polls, anti-austerity party Syriza maintains a steady lead over New Democracy.
Centre-left party To Potami (The River) is polling in third place, while far-right party Golden Dawn and┬ásocialist party Pasok are in fourth place. Polls have established that the majority of Greeks are in favour┬áof a coalition of parties governing the country if no party collects enough votes to form a government.┬áDilemmas have been addressed by both sides for some time now. Syriza leader, Alexis Tsipras, is┬ápledging to reverse austerity policies and renegotiate the countryÔÇÖs debt, stating that it is time for Greece┬áto restore its democracy. New Democracy leader┬áAntonis Samaras has drawn attention to the risks of a┬ápossible Syriza government would introduce, stressing the fact that it would lead to further depression┬áand even force Greece to exit the Eurozone.┬áSyrizaÔÇÖs manifesto includes measures to reverse wage cuts, unemployment and excessive taxation,┬áissues the Greek population has faced since the debt crisis hit the country back in 2009 and impacted┬áthe standard of living. Having suffered under austerity for a long time, Greeks are now looking to the left┬áfor a solution to their problems.
As it becomes increasingly more likely that Syriza will gain power, it is notable that the party membersÔÇÖ┬áantiÔÇôEuropean rhetoric has softened. Syriza no longer threatens to seek a way out of Europe, but is┬árather willing to renegotiate the bailout agreement with the creditors, claiming that its manifesto will not┬ápose a threat to the Eurozone.
Some voices have been reassuring. ÔÇ£Eurozone integrity is not threatened, we donÔÇÖt fear what will┬áhappen in the Greek elections on Sunday. We are prepared for all kinds of scenarios in Greece,ÔÇØ┬áEconomic and Financial Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici told a seminar at the economic think┬átank Bruegel last Monday.┬áHowever, it has been pointed out that GreeceÔÇÖs possible exit would probably come to shake the very┬áfoundations of the Eurozone. ÔÇ£A ÔÇÿGrexitÔÇÖ would not cause serious problems for the Eurozone in the short┬áterm,ÔÇØ said Nikos Vettas, head of IOBE, GreeceÔÇÖs most influential think tank. ÔÇ£In the medium term┬áhowever, it would pose the question as to whether there is cohesion within the Eurozone and if the┬áultimate aim of integration is attainableÔÇØ, he commented.┬áWhether Syriza will be the first leftist party to govern Greece and if its policies will have an impact on the┬áEurozone, remains to be seen.
by Maria Nikolopoulou
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