Elections, May 6... June 17 Options

[Rtasos21]

pril 10, 2012, 2:20 p.m. ET
UPDATE: Greece To Hold Elections May 6 - Govt Official


--Official announcement expected Wednesday

--Popularity of two main parties falls to all-time low

(Adds poll figures starting from the fifth paragraph)

ATHENS (Dow Jones)--Greece is expected to call national elections for May 6, a government official said Tuesday.

"Elections will be held on May 6," the government official said. "An official announcement will be made tommorrow."

Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos will meet President Karolos Papoulias at 1400 GMT on Wednesday, when he is expected to ask for polls to be held. Later on, Papademos is expected to formally announce the date.

Greece's parliament held its last session Tuesday, before being dissolved, paving the way for the official start of the campaign for the country's elections.

During the last days, Greece's caretaker government passed the final pieces of legislation that are a precondition for the new bailout.

Polls show that the popularity of Greece's two mainstream political parties, which have backed the country's coalition government, fell to an all-time low.

According to a recent survey, conducted by pollster GPO for TV channel Mega, the conservative New Democracy and Socialists, also known as Pasok combined would still command just 32.4% of votes, while six other parties would also be represented in parliament. About one out of three voters doesn't intend or hasn't decided what to vote.

Based on the poll numbers, it appears that the election to replace the current caretaker government could yield a fractured result that would require the creation of a multiparty government to follow through on promised changes to continue to qualify for a new EUR130 billion bailout package from international lenders.

The new government will have to announce EUR11 billion in further austerity measures by June to cover expected budget gaps in 2013 and 2014 to comply with conditions set by international lenders.

The GPO nationwide poll showed Monday that New Democracy would command 18.2% of the vote, down from 19.4% in February and Pasok 14.2%, up from 13.1% in the previous poll. In March, former Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos took the reins as new Socialists' party leader.

The newly formed, right-wing Independent Greeks would command 7%, benefiting from languishing support for New Democracy. The party wasn't formed yet during the poll in February.

Small, right-wing nationalist Laos party would receive 4% of the vote, down from 5.1% support previously, while the extreme-right neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party is backed by 3.1% of voters, which is the minimum threshold needed to enter parliament. Its support was below 1% in the previous poll.

As regards to the leftist parties, which openly oppose the austerity measures, Stalinist KKE is backed by 8% of voters, down from 9.5% previously, the newly formed Democratic Left by 5.9% and the Coalition of the Left by 6.2%, down from 12% and 8.5%, respectively.

Another 3% of those surveyed said they would prefer another smaller party, while 10% said they wouldn't cast a vote and 19.2% haven't decided what they are going to vote.

-By Nektaria Stamouli, Dow Jones Newswires

source: http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20120410-711490.html

What do you guys expect from this election?

[RED SHERIFF]

i expect....mayhem...

a desperate PASOK/ND to form coalition....and to appease both and the troika appoint Lucas as PM..

[Rtasos21]

I heard rumours that the PASOK and ND MPs who got fired/resigned after the last bailout bill was voted on are trying to rally together to form a new centre party. Either way I expect a major shift in the political scene in Greece, and I doubt parties supporting the bailout will get enough seats to pass the bills through the House. A few reports I read mention growing support for the extreme left and right which is never good in a society.



This post has been edited by Rtasos21: Apr 11 2012, 08:12 PM

[GeorgeStilly]

Latest opinion poll...




Dhmokratikh Aristera have really dropped off the radar ever since their leader pretty much stated that they'd form coalition with PASOK. They were up around 15% about a month ago....

http://www.iefimerida.gr/news/46061/mrb-%C...%CE%B6%CE%B1-86

[Guest_porman_*]

A classic scenario. Vote for ND, they fuck up. Next time, vote for Pasok, they fuck up. Vote for ND. Rinse and repeat....

A vicious circle of the same bullshit! They haven't changed one thing, meaning the politicians are in their old modes, stealing and hiding money.

In a country where they can't control a simple task as a smoking ban in restaurants, cafés and bars, how do you expect them to run a functioning country when nobody gives a damn about laws and regulation?

This will continue until the EU cuts off all loans and lets Greece sink into a hole of shit!

[RED SHERIFF]

If you think a change of direction is needed..


how would you feel with LAOS in power?

[Guest_porman_*]

Eee min to paraxesoume...

[RED SHERIFF]

why not ? ( given your despair - for both middle of the road parties)..


Do you honestly see any positive coming from your proposal of stopping EU loans and bankruptcy....

Honestly I dont give a shit what a Greek default does to the rest of EU or world economy (I see this in the sense of wearing only my greek hat,in the context of this discussion)..

But what will a greek default do to greece short term and long term?

and furthermore having a "fringe" politician or political party in power is scary..

To use your smoking ban example....I hardly think a "new greek" style "peoples democracy" will ever have the will or strength to legislate .or enforce ANY significant meaningful changes...

[Guest_porman_*]

"Do you honestly see any positive coming from your proposal of stopping EU loans and bankruptcy...."

My proposal? Are you hallucinating? Where did I even hint that it's something I want?

Yes, you are correct about one thing. People will change when they want to change. Not when someone tries to force them.

I do think it's a fucking shame that people fall for the scare tactics propaganda used by the extreme right parties. I've seen it here in Sweden and I'm not surprised it exists in Greece. But it's a fucking disgrace, because we should never allow ourselves to fall for such idiocy!

A country that once fought against the Nazi oppression should NEVER even consider in voting for such a party as the Xrysi Avgi.

Unfortunately, the way I see things developing (or not developing, that's the problem) a default is inevitable.
I don't know how this will affect Greece. Time will tell.

Is anyone here even entitled to vote in Greece? And how many of you will actually be able to do so?


And to answer your unasked question, I would probably vote the same way I do in Sweden. Oikologoi. Just because all the other parties suck more and they suck the least.

Forgot one thing. Fringe politicians?

They're all the same, I mean, it's the same people who got us into this mess in the first place. Political power in Greece is inherited pretty much like a monarchy... Fuck them all!

This post has been edited by porman: Apr 13 2012, 06:27 PM

[Rtasos21]

If the fringe parties are smart they would make coalitions just to rally more support. Otherwise I could see the numbers GeorgeStilly posted evening out to a PASOK/ND majority.


This is what matters, "The new government will have to announce EUR11 billion in further austerity measures by June to cover expected budget gaps in 2013 and 2014 to comply with conditions set by international lenders."

The party in charge won't form a majority government, so both ND and PASOK need to rally enough votes to get enough seats in Parliament to pass further austerity.

This post has been edited by Rtasos21: Apr 13 2012, 06:55 PM

[RED SHERIFF]

@porman


your post #5 above clearly states in the last paragraph...

"this will continue until EU cuts off all loans and lets Greece sink into a shit hole"

if this is clearly not clearly hinting towards a deafault and bankruptcy...what is?


and I see the far left...as spreading propaganda...and scare tactics...

not sure what relevance 'fighting the NAZI'S" has here...other than another dramatic AND DESPARATE "anti EU " rant that is totally baseless..

other than the fringe "hrysi avgi" What far right party exists in Greece??? LAOS is not as RIGHT as most CONSERVATIVE parties anywhere in the west...

Nor do I see mentioning "hrysi avgi" as relevant...
I have no idea what role hrysi avgi play in the Greek political landscape....they get no air time in TV...I dont even know who their leader is??? they have no support..no ones takes them seriously..

I really am not sure why you raise them as an issue??

[GeorgeStilly]

Nor do I see mentioning "hrysi avgi" as relevant...
I have no idea what role hrysi avgi play in the Greek political landscape....they get no air time in TV...I dont even know who their leader is??? they have no support..no ones takes them seriously..

Michaloliakos is their leader.

Well they are being taken much more seriously now than LAOS. In 2009, XA got 0.29% of the vote. These elections, they're looking at getting 4%, a 14-fold increase. Their message is clearly resonating with some Greeks...

[Guest_porman_*]

@porman


your post #5 above clearly states in the last paragraph...

"this will continue until EU cuts off all loans and lets Greece sink into a shit hole"

if this is clearly not clearly hinting towards a deafault and bankruptcy...what is?

How is that a hint to what I want? That was merely a statement on what will probably happen.


On the extreme right... They're rising. Just as GeorgeStilly wrote. And that is something that we must seriously fight. There's no room for such ideologies in a modern society.

[Rtasos21]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZBY8nFOeqM...9beFAAAAAAAARAA

It's a New York Times report on Xrysh Aygh's recent rise.

[RED SHERIFF]

on the surface...their views seem extreme....but sadly they have views that are shared by the vast majority of people in the western world...or in the "white world"....most people in australia privately some openly feel the exact same way...

[Guest_porman_*]

Their views feed of intolerance and fear!

[GeorgeStilly]

EVERY political party uses fear to sell themselves...

[Manolara_AEKara]

on the surface...their views seem extreme....but sadly they have views that are shared by the vast majority of people in the western world...or in the "white world"....most people in australia privately some openly feel the exact same way...

Why do you think their numbers are rising? Because deep down we're all right wing fascistas?
I mentioned the implications of harsh austerity and loss of sovereignty in the financial thread. The bailouts had larger implications than simply paying off short term debt with long term financial uncertainty.

Democracy, Fascism, Monarchy, there is no difference when there are no leaders.

[CHE21QNZ]

Here's the problem with this new rise in support for Xrisi Augi: Greeks often confuse fascism with patriotism or ethnikismo........Parties like LAOS and Xriso Augo lol know how to take people's national pride/sensitivities and hide a fascist nazi or junta agenda behind it.

[Rtasos21]

Xrish Aygh seems open about their appreciation of the junta years. They have been known to be thugs fighting anarchists, communists and immigrants in the streets. I thought they all but fizzled out like 5 years ago. But lately due to the crisis, they have been wielding political leverage.

If they want a broader base, then I suggest to them to keep their strong national views, but don't wave or parade fascist/nazi bullshit. We held our own in WWII and fought against the Germans and Italians, I don't know why our hardcore nationalists idolize them?
,