Greeks to vote for local officials in foretaste of EU elections

By Eleni Chrepa & Antonis Galanopoulos

Greeks vote on May 18 to elect representatives in the country’s municipalities and prefectures in a last confrontation between the government of Antonis Samaras and the main opposition Syriza party before next week’s European elections.

The local government poll offers national parties the chance to build momentum before voters choose their representatives for the European Parliament a week later. Syriza’s leader Alexis Tsipras this week billed the European vote as a “referendum” on the country’s political situation as he seeks support for plans to reverse the austerity imposed by euro area governments and the International Monetary Fund.

“It’s certain that the local government vote will affect European elections,” Kostas Panagopoulos, head of Alco polling company said in a May 9 telephone interview. “It’s the first time we have local government elections a week before European elections.”

A total of about 9.9 million Greeks will choose their local representatives in the country’s 13 prefectures and 56 municipalities with vote beginning at 7 a.m. and finishing at 7 p.m. Athens time. If the leading candidate fails to secure more than 50 percent in any one vote, a runoff election between those in the first two positions will be held next week.

Local government and European elections will cost the Greek state 75 million euros ($102.9 million), according to Interior Ministry figures.

A majority of 54 percent in a GPO poll said the national political situation would be the main factor in their voting, while 42 percent said they’d be more swayed by local problems. GPO surveyed 1,000 people for Mega TV between April 30 and May 5.

What’s at stake in these elections is for...