ND Mitsotakis: Either government with majority or “elections on 15. August”

If no government gets elected with majority on July 7, then “elections on 15. August,” New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a statement that sounded like blackmail or threat. Too stupid that 15. August is a Thursday and elections are held in Greece always on Sundays and certainly not on a Holy day. 15. August is a public holiday and the peak of Greeks’ summer vacations.

“The outcome is not a done deal; New Democracy’s victory cannot be taken for granted,” Mitsotakis told Thema radio, although all public opinion polls show a 2-digit figure ahead of governing SYRIZA.

He encouraged voters to turn out and give the center-right party a strong mandate.

If a government is not elected with a majority on July 7, “the country will be led back to the polls on August 15th, and it will be with a simple proportional representation system.”

Of course, this will mean that the next government will be deprived of the bonus of the 50 seats. So will he want to be deprived of let’s say 140 seats in a coalition government and be pleased with 100 seats in the simple proportional system?

Should a political party win elections without a majority and coalition negotiations fail, then new elections are due in four or five weeks.

“I do not believe that abstention will be high,” Mitsotakis said, responding to widespread concerns that the elections’ timing in the middle of the summer holidays may lead to a poor turnout. “What I continue to understand from my tours is that a strong end needs to be put to this government.”

Looking out for Greek voters on 15. August

Some mean Greeks call Mitsotakis “baglama.” A slang use of the modest music instrument baglamas, in the sense that somebody is unimportant and makes a lot of gaffes.

PS I suppose, that they will install the ballot boxes along the endlessly beautiful beaches of Greece.

thumbail picture: Message in a ballot box by Mari Fouz