Local Elections in Greece Confirm Conservative Dominance

The results of the first round of the local and regional elections in Greece confirmed the dominance of the ruling Conservative Party and the lack of strong opposition in the country.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ New Democracy (ND) party secured victories in seven out of thirteen regions from the first round. In six regions, run-off elections will take place next Sunday.

In five of the remaining six, the ND candidates will battle it out against independent candidates originating from ND.

To win a regional governor or mayor seat outright without a second round of voting, a candidate needs to secure at least 43 percent of the vote.

Key Election Results in Critical Regions

In Thessaly, a region significantly impacted by recent floods, current regional governor Konstantinos Agorastos led with 41.58 percent of the votes, followed by independent candidate Dimitrios Kouretas, supported by both SYRIZA and PASOK, at 34.28 percent.

In Attica, the biggest region of Greece, ND’s Nikos Chardalias has received 46.26 percent of the votes, followed by independent candidate (but supported by SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance) Giorgos Ioakimidis with 15.96 percent.

In a statement to reporters, Chardalias said he is taking on “a huge responsibility” and promises to do everything in his power to honor people’s mandate.

“Today we start the fight for a better, safer Attica,” he noted and invited his fellow candidates to cooperate. “We want active citizens by our side,” Chardalias pointed out.

Αυτοδιοικητικές εκλογές – Αποτελέσματα: «Γαλάζιος» ο χάρτης των Περιφερειών – Ποιοι φαίνεται να εκλέγονται από τον πρώτο γύροhttps://t.co/gKxIMQkptD

— enikos.gr (@enikos_gr) October 8, 2023

Athens, Piraeus and Thessaloniki

In the capital city of Athens, Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis came close but did not reach the 43 percent threshold, securing 41.27 percent of the vote and setting up a runoff election.

In Piraeus, Ioannis Moralis was elected overwhelmingly with 69.50 percent support.

The race remained undecided in Thessaloniki, the second-biggest city, as the top two candidates failed to reach the 43 percent threshold in the initial round. A runoff election is scheduled for October 15th.

Prime Minister Mitsotakis on Greece’s Local Election Results

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis addressed the nation, expressing gratitude for the trust placed in New Democracy. He noted the likelihood of opposition parties winning in just one region, suggesting significant political implications.

Mitsotakis also emphasized the importance of the forthcoming second round of elections.

Συγχαρητήρια στους Περιφερειάρχες και τους Δημάρχους που κέρδισαν την εκλογή τους από την πρώτη Κυριακή. Είμαστε εδώ για να συνεργαστούμε με κάθε Περιφερειάρχη και κάθε Δήμαρχο. Αυτό κάναμε εξάλλου και αυτά τα 4 χρόνια, διότι τα προβλήματα δεν έχουν χρώμα. https://t.co/r3fldptp6A pic.twitter.com/xo1t8to11w

— Kyriakos Mitsotakis (@kmitsotakis) October 8, 2023

Greece’s Elections Amid Recent Natural Disasters

The electoral body included 9,775,181 Greek citizens. A total of 465,218 voters were young citizens voting for the first time, and there were also 17,957 European citizens living in Greece.

Greece’s local elections took place amidst recent natural disasters, including devastating wildfires in August and unprecedented floods in September. This was just months after the New Democracy party won its second term in government.

Mitsotakis highlighted his government’s support for local authorities, measures to increase transparency, and the upcoming political assessment of the elections.

State Minister Makis Voridis noted that initial political conclusions will be drawn from the results of the first round of local elections, and the full picture will emerge after the results of the second round become known.