The intra-party “civil wars of the cross” between the parties’ MEP candidates is one of the parameters of particular importance for the day after the June 9 elections. The choices of Kyriakos Mitsotakis have up to a point clear characteristics and reveal his political aspirations. However, in the background, individual battles of the candidates are unfolding at the same time, on the one hand for a seat in the European Parliament, on the other hand for the rankingwhich for some has an extra weight.
In SYRIZA, the most controversial of Stefanos Kasselakis’ choices did not go unnoticed, just as the presidential favor to some candidates did not go unnoticed within the party. And there was no lack of criticism in PaSoK, not only for the “transfer” from the ruling party, but also for the “incomplete representation of society”.
“Unfair competitions” for a seat in the European Parliament
Factors of decisive importance for shaping the overall and individual results of the June 9 contest are the participation and the percentages of the parties that will be below the threshold, which will ensure the entrance of one or more candidates to the European Parliament. Under conditions and depending on the so-called “disposable parties”, this percentage may reach or even exceed 3.5%. In the previous European elections of 2019, the last party among those who elected (one) MEP was the Hellenic Solution with a percentage of 4.17% and the total percentage of parties that were left without representation was 21%.
The candidacies that concern ND executives – The road to the European elections is expected to be difficult and the intra-party dispute fierce
In this light, this year’s showdown and the comparison of the elements that will shape the final picture have an additional political significance, firstly in terms of the overall political correlations and then in relation to the internal party balances. In 2019, with the total participation at 58.69%, the ND had gathered a percentage of 33.12% and 1,873,137 votes. The first to cross in that completely different political situation was Stelios Kymbouropoulos with 577,144 followed by Vangelis Meimarakis (496.600), Maria Spyraki (319.237), Eliza Woseberg (288.427), Manolis Kefalogiannis (257.819), Anna Asimakopoulou (225.211), George Kyrtsos (196,929) and Thodoris Zagorakis (195.264).
As it is becoming clear today, the composition of the ND’s European ballot in the previous European elections had very different characteristics and the results could be considered more or less expected. In today’s juncture, the political condition has changed to a great extent. The government is already fraying in its fifth year in office and the Prime Minister’s apparent pursuit is not limited to securing victory, but extends to achieving an electoral performance on par with 2019 and, if possible, re-electing eight MEPs. In particular, this last element depends on the total percentage of parties that will not succeed in reaching the election measure, as based on this the remaining 21 seats will be divided.
The candidacies of Avtias and Beleris
The road to the polls looks like it won’t be a healthy walk and the internal party wrangling promises to be bitter in some cases.
Within the ND there is already an obvious dissatisfaction due to some choices of the Prime Minister and, above all, with his candidacies Giorgos Avtiasof Freddy Belleri and – less – her Eleonora Meleti in focus. The first has disturbed the party members due to the “unfair competition” due to the TV popularity of the well-known journalist, but also some of his statements, such as the persistent repetition of “fatherland, religion, family”.
Concern is expressed about the possibility of people without party credentials being in the first positions of the elected MEPs
The second has caused problems because, according to party officials, it hides some special “dangers”. One of them is related to the fact that it is addressed to a very specific audience, which is likely to support the elected mayor Heimarras with single crosses, which, if verified, will obviously be at the expense of other candidates and especially those who will fight for a marginal election to the European Parliament.
So far the only sign of dissatisfaction on the part of any candidate was limited to the absence of Vangelis Meimarakis from the presentation of the European ballot last week at the Athens Conservatory. This was attributed to the fact that the former ND president missed his return flight from New York, but the real cause in the inner-party universe is believed to be that the head of the party’s Eurogroup did not wish to appear as a simple candidate among dozens of others.
The “recruitment” of ministers
Another element that has caused comments among executives and followers of the ND is as such the expediency of the candidacy of Freddy Belleris. The targeting is obvious, but the motivations for many are controversial and incompatible with the center-liberal line of Kyriakou Mitsotakiswhich according to some has faded in the run-up to the elections.
The Prime Minister’s apparent pursuit is not limited to securing victory, but extends to achieving an electoral performance on par with 2019
However, the intense discomfort among candidates is also due to the fact that ministers such as Makis Voridis and Adonis Georgiades, as well as an entire party apparatus, have undertaken as a priority the support and promotion of the expatriate candidate from Albania. In addition, concern is expressed about the possibility of persons without party credentials being in the first positions of the elected MEPs, with what this may entail for the identity of the ND electorate and the internal balances.
What do the measurements show?
However, the existing measurements present a confused political picture based on the popularity of the ND candidates. Giorgos Autias is said to be the first by a distance, followed by Pyrros Dimas, while first among the extreme party candidates is Vangelis Meimarakis, with a slight difference from the Olympic weightlifting champion. Eliza Voseberg is in fourth place, followed by Freddy Beleris in fifth place. Manolis Kefalogiannis, Eleonora Meleti and Dimitris Tsiodrasin the event that the ND again elects eight MEPs.
Dissatisfaction is already being expressed within the ND due to some of the Prime Minister’s choices and, above all, with the candidacies of Autias, Beleris and – to a lesser extent – Eleonora Meletis
However, in addition to the multiplicity of the European ballot, it is expected that the diverse political agendas expressed by each candidate and, on the other hand, their manifestation in the different regions will have a decisive effect. For example, in the case of Freddy Beleris, particular emphasis is placed on right-wing and “patriotic” slogans in the regions of Central and Western Macedonia. On the contrary, candidacies such as those of Eliza Vozeberg and Dimitris Tsiodra hardly “pass” in these areas and their electoral base is mainly in the urban centers and electoral districts of Attica. Vangelis Meimarakis obviously has a smaller problem in this regard, as do Giorgos Autias, Pyrros Dimas and Eleonora Meleti.
The particularity of the minority
One of the candidacies that, even if it has no hope of election, is being watched with some attention is that of Nurjan Souloglu. Given that, especially in the European elections, the weakest regions for the ND are those of Xanthi and Rodopi due to the existence of the minority party Equality, Peace and Friendship, one of the interesting elements of June 9 will be whether the 43-year-old doctor will succeed in attracting votes from the region’s Muslim minority.
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