Athens, Thessaloniki, Change Mayors in Historic Abstention From Voting

Athens and Thessaloniki, Greece’s two major cities, voted in new mayors in Sunday’s runoff local government elections with abstention reaching a record high.

However, abstention was the real winner of the local government elections, as 48 percent of registered voters abstained from the ballot.

In Athens, incumbent Kostas Bakoyannis received 44.06 percent of the vote, losing to Haris Doukas with 55.96 percent, with 80 percent of votes counted.

In Thessaloniki, Stelios Angeloudis led the race with 67.33 percent against incumbent Konstantinos Zervas with 32.67 percent, with 100 percent of votes counted.

In the third largest municipality of the country, Patras, incumbent Kostas Peletidis won a third term, with 99 percent of votes counted, receiving 56.69 percent over his opponent Konstantinos Svolis (43.31 percent).

Outgoing Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis conceded to Doukas with a brief message, saying “I’m leaving just as I walked in, with my head held high.”

New Athens Mayor Haris Doukas said, “Today Athens won. The city turns the page.”

In Thessaloniki, Stelios Angeloudis said that “now it’s time to work for the people of our city.”

Abstention from elections reached record high in Athens

Abstention took the lead in the second round of local government elections, sending a message of distrust towards local leaders. It also signified indifference of a large portion of citizens to the results.

According to the latest data from the Ministry of the Interior, by 5:30 pm participation was at 31.2 percent nationwide, i.e. 11.4 points lower than in the first round (42.6 percent).

Apart from the expected reluctance of the voters to go to the polls for the second consecutive Sunday and given that a few months ago there were double national elections, the fact is that this immense abstinence demonstrates citizens’ displeasure.

Many Greek citizens believe that local government cannot and does not want to work effectively for the citizens, as in most cases, it simply functions as a “mouthpiece” of the respective government.

Neither the appeals of the candidates, nor the debate—for the conduct of which so many arguments preceded—between the two candidates for mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis and Haris Doukas, moved the voters, as about seven out of ten got up from the “sofa” for their Sunday walk, which, however, did not include a visit to a polling station.

Forty-eight percent abstention on first Sunday of elections

It is recalled that in the first round of the elections, both in Athens and Thessaloniki and the entire Greek territory,  abstention rate reached 48 percent.

Specifically, abstention reached 47.50 percent in the municipal elections, while in the regional elections it reached 47.47 .

Attica registered large abstention rates, as citizens, at a rate of approximately 48 percent, did not go to the polls.

In the Municipality of Athens, a record was set, with only 32.32 percent of registered voters voting in the first round of elections and 26.73 percent voting in the second.