Voting theory

The majority of Greek citizens spoke through silence and abstained from the recent European election. Voter turnout was just 41%, much lower than that in the June 2023 national election (54%). To interpret this record high abstention rate, one common and one more dramatic explanation have been suggested. The first tells us that the European Parliament elections are not of interest to citizens.

Τhe level of voter abstention hovering close to 60% in the June 9 European elections is no doubt a cause for concern for the country's political establishment. For a measure of comparison, the abstention rate in the previous European elections (May 2019) was just shy of 40%.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Sunday admitted that the ruling Conservatives fell short of the target set by himself before the European Elections, citing a record abstention and protest vote as possible causes.

In the last exit poll published by the Ministry of Interior, New Democracy is seen securing 27.9% of the vote, five percentage points below the intended 33%.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis urged voters on Friday to participate in Sunday's European Parliament elections, emphasizing the importance of voting amidst concerns of a high abstention rate.

With the June 9 European elections looming, Greek political parties are concerned about the high rate of abstention of young people aged 17-30, after an analysis of the qualitative data of the postal vote. 

Indicatively, in the two major urban centers of Attica and Thessaloniki, a total of 59,468 voters have registered, of whom only about 10,000 are young people, less than 17%.

The Court of Appeals on April 15 once again failed to elect a new president in the 16th round of the election that has been underway since the end of March, finding itself in a deadlock.

The lawyers' abstention has been extended until January 19 after a decision of the plenary session of the country's bar associations with a vote of 46-12, with the minority voting in favor of a complete abstention from all proceedings. 

Accordingly, lawyers will refrain from criminal trials, as well as those pertaining to public interest, enforcement of rulings and payment orders.

“BMI does not appropriately represent racial and ethnic minorities”

With the election just days away, New Democracy is seeking the crucial 40% threshold that would secure a safe outright majority to form a single-party government.

The growing frustration with politics felt by most Greeks will be expressed in the upcoming elections with an increase in abstention and a tendency to reject systemic parties and strengthen fringe formations - phenomena that will make it more difficult to govern, while also affecting the legitimacy of any government.