New Democracy enjoyed a landslide victory in Greece on Sunday that put it far ahead of the leftwing opposition, which fared worse than forecasted.
Despite securing 41% of the vote, under new election rules the party remains short of an outright majority and leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis has said he will push for a repeat poll “as soon as possible”.
The staggering result puts the incumbent 20 points ahead of Syriza. It followed a wiretapping scandal and a devastating train crash that were expected to affect Mitsotakis’s popularity with the electorate, but many appear to have backed the party they credit with steering the country to economic recovery.
Here, six voters share why they voted the way they did.
‘I voted for Mitsotakis because there was no other option’
“I was shocked at the result – it’s almost historic. I voted for New Democracy because practically there was no other option. It was a very difficult decision. I identify as centre or centre-left politically. [Voting for New Democracy] is not something I am exactly proud of doing but, in the past four years, the prime minister has brought in a lot of investors, more jobs have appeared and salaries have increased, albeit marginally. New Democracy has worked hard to modernise the public sector by introducing digitised services. I think it’s better to have a majority government than a coalition.
“The main problem with voting Mitsotakis is that not everyone in his party is as centrist as he is, and there are some politicians in there that are quite far right. That is not great. Unfortunately, the other options also have politicians on the extreme ends.”
Vittorio Μattioli, 32, copyeditor and small business owner in Athens (New Democracy voter)
‘I voted against New Democracy and its scandals’
“I voted for the main opposition party, Syriza, for a bunch of reasons – being a supporter is not one of them. I was, of course, disappointed at the result. I didn’t expect the gap to be so big, but who did?
“Just to name a few reasons I voted against New Democracy: the government was caught red-handed spying on politicians and journalists, [there’s] no funds for education/health and the train crash where there was a lack of monitoring.
“Also because of press freedom – a main reason people know little about or hold no one responsible for the above. Refugee pushbacks; police brutality.”
Alexandros, 34, academic in Athens (Syriza voter)
‘It was disheartening to see the low turnout’
“This is my first vote in a general election in Greece – I became a Greek citizen last year, largely pushed into that by Brexit after living and working here for 40 years. I wasn’t overly surprised at the result – I thought Mitsotakis would win easily.
“I voted for Syriza. I don’t agree with all their platform but I want the country to move back into a more social democratic direction with more emphasis given to health and education. The poor and the lower middle classes suffered mightily in the [economic] crisis and despite all the positive spin being given on the Greek economy, there are huge problems for most with very low wages and increasing prices.
“It was disheartening to see the low turnout [about 39% did not vote]. It reflects that people are fed up. There’s a lack of understanding of the reality outside the Athens bubble. Parts of Halkidiki, where I live, are very developed in terms of tourism, but it’s a very short season and there are huge differences in the area. The needs of the community are not covered.”
Lesley, 67, retired in Halkidiki (Syriza voter)
‘I worry social inequalities will rise’
“I voted for the leftwing party DiEM25 because I believe they would lobby for the strongest social state. The truth is I didn’t expect Syriza to get such a low percentage, and I was upset that DiEM25 didn’t get into parliament. At least KKE increased its share, so there can be more of a counter. I haven’t decided how I’ll vote in the second round.
“To be honest, I don’t think it makes much difference which party wins, the system doesn’t seem to change much. I thought about voting Syriza, in order to weaken New Democracy, which [I view] as the worst choice for my country. But Syriza has disappointed me, and I heard some debates with DiEM25 leader Yanis Varoufakis and he impressed me.
“I want to be optimistic about the future and the economy – I hope it becomes easier for young people to stay here and to return to Greece. I’m worried that social inequalities will rise and that my fellow citizens have developed apathy for social concerns. Many people really don’t care about anything than their household.”
Georgia Vouka, 24, intern in Thessaloniki (DiEM25 voter)
‘There is only this choice and chaos’
“The result is promising – I thought, this is a more mature result from the electorate. I think Mitsotakis is the only reliable solution to bring progress in this country. It was a very easy decision for me – unfortunately, it’s a choice between New Democracy and chaos.
“Voting is not only about political ideology, but also about politicians. It’s about politicians’ moral ground, technical expertise, pragmatism and results. I judge politicians by their actions, not their promises. Mitsotakis may not be ideal but he has brought results.
“Though I would define myself as being closer to a socialist ideology, I think Pasok are mainly to blame for our debt crisis. I don’t feel I can trust them for this reason. Syriza is being led by people who [ignored] the result of the 2015 austerity referendum, turning no into yes – that’s the level of trust I have for them.”
Tina, 39, lawyer in Athens (New Democracy voter)
‘I voted New Democracy for the economy’
“I belong to the centre-left, but I will vote with a heavy heart for the centre-right New Democracy party. The reason is the economy of the country. Greece has suffered a lot economically in recent years and, in contrast to a disastrous four years of Syriza, the last four years of New Democracy have seen an impressive recovery.
“As well as the economy of the country, Syriza’s Euroscepticism and its refusal of necessary public sector reforms guaranteed its overwhelming defeat. I wish for changes in the area of the centre-left and the creation of a truly pro-European modern party formation.”
Charalampos, 67, retired in Athens (New Democracy voter)
