PM seeking to plug leaks in Greek north
Mitsotakis embarks on tour in regions where ruling ND is losing ground to parties on its right
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will set up camp in northern Greece on Thursday to begin a series of tours over two days aiming to limit leakage to parties to the right of ruling New Democracy and which in the June 2023 elections received a total of around 20% of the vote between them.
Mitsotakis will tour three regional units: Pieria, Pella and Imathia. Beginning Thursday, he will visit Litochoro in Pieria before heading to Giannitsa in Pella on Friday, as well as Veria and Naousa in Imathia.
One of the biggest battles that New Democracy has to fight in the upcoming elections is to limit the trend toward nationalist parties Greek Solution and Niki.
The latest measurements give Greek Solution an average of 12% in the entire region stretching from Western Macedonia to Eastern Macedonia and Thrace.
Despite the latest estimates showing that Greek Solution and Niki have “hit a ceiling,” it is not enough, as the coveted 33% that New Democracy wants means it must regain at least the 2% that is leaving it for other parties on the right.
Niki got 11.7% in Katerini in the national elections last June, while Greek Solution garnered 6.29%. Together with Spartiates (Spartans), which won 5.69%, the three parties reached a percentage of 23.15%.
In Giannitsa, Niki received 9.35%, while Greek Solution got 7.95%. Together with Spartiates (5.49%) they reached 22.79%. In Veria, Greek Solution received 7.8%, Niki 5.08% and Spartiates 5.67%, reaching together 18.55%.
Finally, in Naousa, the three parties to the right of New Democracy received almost 19%, with Hellenic Solution getting 7.64%, Niki 7.21% and Spartiates 4.03%.
If these parties received percentages in excess of 20% in the national elections, which were undoubtedly more polarized given that the government of the country was decided, it is reasonable to fear that they will increase their percentages even more in the European elections.
Speaking on Wednesday, Mitsotakis referred to the upcoming European elections, saying that they have a national dimension, while, referring to the opposition, he accused it of trying to turn the European elections into a referendum, saying that “we have to pick up the gauntlet.”
