The rise of Jean-Marie Le Pen in France’s presidential elections and the demise of Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin’s bid have shaken the ruling PASOK party. Recent opinion polls, which have shown the conservative New Democracy party enjoying a lead of up to 8 percent if elections were to be held today, had already caused political ferment in the party. Although parliamentary elections are not due for two years, there are now moves afoot to undermine Prime Minister Costas Simitis so that conditions will be ripe to question his leadership if the result of the municipal and provincial elections in October is not good for PASOK.

It is expected that if PASOK wins less than 15 of the 54 provincial elections, many deputies will demand Simitis’s replacement. This possibility is being bandied about by “old guard” members of PASOK and union cadres. Indicative of this is the General Confederation of Greek Labor’s reversing itself and rejecting government proposals for the funding of the social security system.