Sunday, June 17, 2012

Update: New Democracy Takes Election

L-R (clockwise): Lefkos Pirgos, Thessaloniki; a New Democracy rally on Friday; an elderly lady votes in Thessaloniki on June 17; a KKE rally on Friday; voters mingle outside a high school in Thessaloniki; Nikis Street after the polls close; a crowd gathers around Syriza's headquarters in Thessaloniki; ND rally in Athens; KKE (Communist) banner in Thessaloniki.

Alexis Tsipras of Syriza has conceded the Greek election. 

New Democracy, a traditional right-leaning party, is leading slightly with 29.76% of the vote. Antonis Samaras, New Democracy's current leader, will ostensibly leverage his past relationships with EU heavyweights (Angela Merkel, Mariano Rajoy, Jose Manuel Barroso) to steer Greece through the Straits of Uncertain Liquidity as a July 20th payment approaches. 

However, majority parliamentary rule -- at least 40.4% of the vote -- must be met through a coalition. New Democracy has offered to form such a coalition with "populist parties" who are pro-bailout. But Syriza is staunchly opposed to current measures, and it is unclear whether PASOK would also agree to a deal. New Democracy and PASOK forged the original bailout deal in 2009 in Brussels; a history of collaboration under extraordinary pressure may be the country's best chance to push through measures that will keep it in the eurozone. Latest count:
ΚΟΜΜΑΠΟΣΟΣΤΟΨΗΦΟΙΔΙΑΦΟΡΑ
ΜΑΗΣ '12
29,66%1.804.20610,8%
26,89%1.635.76510,1%
12,30%747.955-0,9%
7,50%456.491-3,1%
6,92%421.181-0,1%
6,24%379.7360,1%
4,51%274.109-4,0%

Η ΚΑΤΑΝΟΜΗ ΤΩΝ ΕΔΡΩΝ (Parliamentary Makeup)

Seats:
129 New Democracy
71 Syriza
33 Pasok
20 Independent Greeks
18 Golden Dawn
17 Democratic Left
12 Communist Party