Greece - The Right is routed in the legislative elections

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The Right is routed in the legislative elections

Two years after its broad victory, the Right lost the legislative elections. Its percentage of the vote dropped by 8 per cent and the social democrats of PASOK were 10 per cent ahead of it. The Right paid dearly for its attacks on youth and workers.

It is immediately faced with a serious leadership crisis. It does not seem that the far Right, which did less well than had been feared (5.6 per cent, compared to 3.8 per cent in 2007, but 7.15 per cent in the 2009 elections), can exert much influence.

As for PASOK, two weeks ago nobody in the party envisaged such a score: 44 per cent (38.1 per cent in 2007, 36.6 per cent at the European elections) and 160 seats, thus being able to form a government. Although PASOK will continue right-wing policies overall, it continues, however, to enjoy strong popular support.

To its left, there was a drop in support for the Communist Party (KKE) and its sectarian practices, down to 7.5 per cent (8.15 per cent in 2007), and although the radical left coalition Syriza got over the 3 per cent threshold (the minimum to have parliamentary representation) more easily than it had feared (4.6 per cent, 5 per cent in 2007), it lost 50,000 votes and became the fifth-biggest party. The anti-capitalist regroupment Antarsya took eighth place (with 25,000 votes, 0.36 per cent), which showed progress compared to the European elections (22,000 votes) and to the 2007 results of the two regroupments from which it came) (also 22,000 votes). Andreas Sartzekis, October 5, 2009

Andreas Sartzekis is a member of the Organisation of Internationalist Communists of Greece (OKDE-Spartakos, Greek section of the Fourth International).