NEWS

As elections loom, narratives scrutinized

Ruling ND to ask SYRIZA to name its partners and PASOK who would be PM in a coalition

As elections loom, narratives scrutinized

The speculation around partnerships between parties against the backdrop of ruling New Democracy’s aim to form a single-party government will be the central theme of the long election period that will end on July 2. The first election in May will be conducted with the single proportional system. If this doesn’t lead to a government, which is the expected scenario, then s second ballot will take place with the enhanced proportional system that facilitates the formation of a single-party government.

Given its declared goal of a single-party government in the second election, ruling New Democracy will seek to deconstruct the narratives of both leftist opposition SYRIZA and center-left PASOK until the first election, which is expected to take place on May 21 or 28. The questions that will be raised by ND will be which are the parties SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras proposes to form a “government of winners” with. 

As for PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis’ proposal for a coalition government, ND will ask who would be the premier in such an arrangement. 

The aims of the government are therefore specific. In relation to SYRIZA, ND will show that it is formulating a government proposal that, based on existing polling data, would make SYRIZA, PASOK and radical leftist MeR25 potential government partners. 

This plan, according to ND, would mark the return of Yanis Varoufakis – a former finance minister under the previous SYRIZA administration – to power, with all that this implies given the dramatic events of his tenure in 2015. According to government officials, after Androulakis’ statement that he is not “open” to a government with Varoufakis’ participation, Tsipras’ narrative of forming a progressive government from the simple proportional representation contest does not match the numbers reality as it is considered extremely difficult for SYRIZA and PASOK alone to garner the combined 46-47% required to form a parliamentary majority of 151 seats.

As for PASOK, ND’s main point of criticism is expected to be that Androulakis is not showing his cards as to who will be the PM that will lead a coalition government he proposes. Androulakis has consistently rejected the prospect of either Mitsotakis or Tsipras leading a government. 

ND’s main argument will therefore be that the PASOK president is heading to the polls in a “blurred landscape” for the day after. 

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