General election in Greece May 2012

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Result (in%)

 %

20th

10

0

18.85

16.79

13.18

10.62

8.48

6.97

6.11

2.93

2.89

13.17

ND

SYRIZA ^b

PASOK

ANEL

KKE

XA

DIMAR

Green

LAOS

Otherwise.

Gains and losses

compared to 2009

 % p

 15th

 10

   5

   0

  -5

-10

-15

-20

-25

-30

-35

-14.63

+12.19

-30.74

+10.62

+0.94

+6.68

+6.11

+0.40

-2.74

+11.16

ND

SYRIZA ^b

PASOK

ANEL

KKE

XA

DIMAR

Green

LAOS

Otherwise.

Remarks:

^b Electoral alliance of several left-wing parties

Distribution of seats

       

A total of 300 seats

• KKE : 26
• SYRIZA : 52
• DIMAR : 19
• PASOK : 41
• ND : 108
• ANEL : 33
• XA : 21

The general election in Greece in May 2012 took place on May 6, 2012. It was an early election, which became necessary about two and a half years after the October 2009 election because the Greek President Karolos Papoulias dissolved the Greek Parliament on April 11, 2012 on the proposal of Prime Minister Loukas Papadimos .

The two large popular parties, Nea Dimokratia (ND) and the social democratic Panellinio Sosialistiko Kinima (PASOK), suffered severe losses of votes and did not even reach a joint government majority (previously one of the two parties had always achieved an absolute majority). For the first time, the neo-Nazi and racist Chrysi Avgi entered parliament, as did the right-wing populist Anexartiti Ellines and the left-wing Dimokratiki Aristera . The Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) surprisingly came in second. International press voices feared that the country would become ungovernable. The leaders of the three largest parties, one after the other, failed in their attempts to form a government. The new elections took place on June 17, 2012 .

prehistory

The early elections were a consequence of the shock to Greece caused by the Greek financial crisis . Although the social democratic PASOK had received an absolute majority in the 2009 election , the government of Prime Minister Papandreou , which it supported, soon lost popularity due to the austerity measures and tax increases introduced to cope with the crisis as well as the economic recession and had increasing difficulties in parliament for To obtain the necessary support for further drastic measures, especially since the opposition party Nea Dimokratia (ND) under Andonis Samaras refused to cooperate until Papandreou resigned in November 2011. The interim government led by the independent Prime Minister Loukas Papadimos was supported by the two big parties and at times by the right-wing populist LAOS with the aim of implementing the EU resolutions of October 26, 2011 on a haircut and its requirements. (The haircut actually took place later). The ND made the holding of new elections a condition for their support.

Electoral system

Were elected 300 deputies .

The selection is based on a substantially from the proportional representation dominated electoral system . 288 of the 300 seats were elected in 56 constituencies, whereby the number of mandates awarded per constituency differs depending on the size of the population in the individual constituencies; the largest constituency, Athens-B, with 1.4 million eligible voters, has 42 seats. The election takes place via party lists. Voters could tick the candidates they preferred within the constituency list of the party they had elected. Only one mandate was awarded in eight small constituencies; this received the candidate with the most votes, so that the electoral system also contained elements of the majority vote . Twelve mandates were awarded on the basis of a nationwide list using proportional representation.

One party had to overcome a 3 percent threshold in order to be able to enter parliament. The distribution of seats was carried out in such a way that the party or the electoral alliance that received the most votes received 50 seats as a bonus. Only parties and not collective alliances can benefit from this right. The remaining seats were distributed proportionally among all parties that broke the 3 percent threshold. This gives preference to larger parties and favors the formation of majorities that can be governed.

All Greek citizens over the age of 18 were eligible to vote, a total of 9.85 million voters. In Greece voting is compulsory ; however, their violation is not sanctioned.

Parties

→ Main article : List of political parties in Greece

For the 2012 parliamentary elections, 36 parties, electoral alliances and nominations had applied for candidacy; The Areopagus Supreme Court has allowed 32 of them to vote.

The parties represented in Parliament so far:

Parliamentary parties
logo		Surname	Alignment	Top candidate
		Nea Dimokratia (ND) Νέα Δημοκρατία (ΝΔ) New Democracy	conservative		Andonis Samaras
		Panellinio Sosialistiko Kinima (PASOK) Πανελλήνιο Σοσιαλιστικό Κίνημα (ΠΑΣΟΚ) Panhellenic Socialist Movement	social democratic		Evangelos Venizelos
		Kommounistiko Komma Elladas (KKE) Κομμουνιστικό Κόμμα Ελλάδας (KKE) Communist Party of Greece	Communist		Aleka Papariga
		Laikos Orthodoxos Synagermos (LAOS) Λαϊκός Ορθόδοξος Συναγερμός (ΛΑΟΣ) Ethnic Orthodox alarm	nationalist		Georgios Karatzaferis
		Synaspismos Rizospastikis Aristeras (SYRIZA) Συνασπισμός της Ριζοσπαστικής Αριστεράς (ΣΥΡΙΖΑ) Coalition of the Radical Left	left socialist		Alexis Tsipras

Opinion polls before the election

The questions of opinion before the election already suggested that the party landscape, which has been dominated by the two large parties Nea Dimokratia and PASOK since 1974, will be greatly changed and fragmented. PASOK, which received 44 percent of the vote in 2009, fell in the polls to 14.5 to 15.4 percent. According to surveys, the ND was the strongest party with 19 to 24 percent, but although the Greek electoral law favors the strongest party, it was far from a possible absolute majority. Around nine smaller parties were trusted to jump over the three percent hurdle, including the communist KKE , the left-wing SYRIZA party , the right-wing populist LAOS , the Dimokratiki Symmachia , the Greens , the newly founded Independent Greeks (ANEL), and the right-wing neo-Nazi Chrysi Avgi and the split-off party Dimokratiki Aristera .

Before the election, PASOK rallied behind its new chairman Evangelos Venizelos . Despite the low prospect of an absolute majority, ND chairman Samaras rejected the idea of ​​a coalition of the two big parties, which was supported by a large majority (65.7 percent) in polls, and announced that it would have to be if necessary another ballot to follow.

Election result

Winners by prefectures:

Nea Dimokratia

Synaspismos Rizospastikis Aristeras

Panellinio Sosialistiko Kinima

Communist Party of Greece

Result of the general election in Greece in May 2012

Political party		be right			Seats
		number	%	+/-	number	+/-
	New Democracy (ND)	1,192,103	18.85	−14.62	108	+17
	Synaspismos Rizospastikis Aristeras (SYRIZA)	1,061,928	16.79	+12.19	52	+39
	Panellinio Sosialistiko Kinima (PASOK)	833.452	13.18	−30.74	41	−119
	Anexartiti Ellines (ANEL)	671,324	10.62	+10.62	33	+33
	Kommounistiko Komma Elladas (KKE)	536.105	8.48	+0.94	26th	+5
	Chrysi Avgi (XA)	440.966	6.97	+6.68	21st	+21
	Dimokratiki Aristera (DIMAR)	386.394	6.11	+6.11	19th	+19
	Ikologi Prasini	185,485	2.93	+0.40	0	± 0
	Laikos Orthodoxos Synagermos (LAOS)	182,925	2.89	−2.74	0	−15
	Dimokratiki Symmachia (DISY)	161,550	2.55	New	0	New
	Dimiourgia Xana (DX)	135.960	2.15	New	0	New
	Drasi - Fileleftheri Symmachia (DRASI-FS)	114.066	1.80	New	0	New
	Antikapitalistiki Aristeri Synergasia gia tin Anatropi (ANTARSYA)	75,416	1.19	+0.83	0	± 0
	Kinoniki Symfonia (KOISY)	60,552	0.96	New	0	New
	OCHI : Dimokratiki Anagennisi - Enieo Pallaiko Metopo (EPAM)	58,170	0.92	New	0	New
	Kinima den Plirono	55,590	0.88	New	0	New
	Enosi Kentroon (EK)	38,313	0.61	+0.34	0	± 0
	Syndesmos Ethnikis Enotitas (SEE)	38.286	0.61	New	0	New
	Comma Piraton Elladas (KPE)	32,519	0.51	New	0	New
	Kinonia Politiki Parataxi synechiston tou Kapodistria	28,514	0.45	+0.29	0	± 0
	Communistiko comma Elladas (marxistiko-leninistiko) (ΜL ΚΚΕ)	16,010	0.25	+0.10	0	± 0
	Ergatiko Epanastatiko Comma (EEK Trotskistes)	6,074	0.10	+0.03	0	± 0
	Comma Fileleftheron	3,618	0.06	+0.02	0	± 0
	Anexartiti Ypopsifii	3,088	0.05	New	0	New
	Organosi gia tin Anasygkrotisi tou KKE (OAKKE)	2,565	0.04	+0.02	0	± 0
	Organosi Kommouniston Diethniston Ellados (ΟKDΕ)	1,783	0.03	New	0	New
	Axioprepia	799	0.01	New	0	New
	Kinima Ethnikis Andistasis (KEAN)	335	0.00	New	0	New
	PAEKE	302	0.00	−0.02	0	± 0
	Panathinaiko Kinima (PANKI)	18th	0.00	New	0	New
	Perferiaki Astiki Anaptyxi (PAA)	3	0.00	New	0	New
	Ellines Ikologi	3	0.00	−0.29	0	± 0
total		6,324,136	100.00		300
Valid votes		6,324,136	97.64	+0.28
Invalid votes		114,769	1.77	−0.26
Blank ballot papers		37,913	0.59	−0.02
voter turnout		6,476,818	65.12	−5.83
Non-voters		3,469,041	34.88	+5.83
Registered voters		9,945,859
Source: Greek Ministry of the Interior

Government formation

The Greek constitution stipulates in Article 37 that the chairman of the strongest party is commissioned to form a government by the President of the Republic. If there is no government with a majority, the chairman of the second largest party receives the mandate to form a government. If this attempt fails, the mandate goes to the chairman of the third largest party. Each exploratory assignment is valid for three days. If all three exploratory missions fail, new elections must be held by June 17, 2012.

The first projections already indicated that the formation of a government could be difficult due to the emerging majority relationships; the final election results confirmed this. Andonis Samaras , party leader of the Nea Dimokratia , received the order to form a government the next day from President Karolos Papoulias . After a few hours, Samaras announced that it was impossible to form a government and returned the mandate.

On May 8, the chairman of the second-placed radical left party alliance SYRIZA , Alexis Tsipras , received the mandate to form a government. He used this mandate effectively; He informed the EU leaders in writing that by voting the Greek people had declared the austerity pledges null and void. Since he could not find a partner for a coalition that would turn away from the austerity policy, he gave the mandate back on May 9th. Then the chairman of the third largest party, PASOK , Evangelos Venizelos , was given the task of forming a government. For a short time a coalition government with the Democratic Left and the New Democracy seemed possible. But the Democratic Left under its chairman Fotis Kouvelis made it a condition that the left-wing radical alliance SYRIZA should be integrated into the coalition government, which the alliance rejected. The last exploratory order had thus also failed. After President Papoulias failed in talks with all party leaders on May 13 and 14 to persuade the parties to form a majority-capable government, he suggested an "expert government" made up of independent experts, which was also rejected. According to Article 37, Paragraph 3 of the Greek Constitution , the state president had to appoint one of the highest judges as prime minister of a transitional government - he chose Panagiotis Pikrammenos  - to hold new elections .

literature

• What crisis? - Everything will be different, the politicians promise - especially those who brought the country to the brink . In: Der Spiegel . No. 18 , 2012 ( online - report from the election campaign).

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Official result of the parliamentary elections in May 2012 , Greek Ministry of the Interior (English)
2. ↑ Focus from April 11, 2012: "Early elections in Greece on May 6th"
3. ↑ International press comments on the election in Greece “Officially ungovernable” . sueddeutsche.de, May 7, 2012; Retrieved May 7, 2012.
4. ↑ Heribert Dieter: Let the Greek people decide! - At least since the election on Sunday, the country has been politically in a dead end. It's time for a referendum: Do the citizens want to stay in the EU? zeit.de
5. ^ Greek tragedy, third act . Spiegel Online , May 11, 2012
6. ^ The formation of a government in Greece failed again. - The radical left Syriza party refused to form an alliance with conservatives, socialists and the democratic left. There's one last chance left . zeit.de
7. ↑ Failure to form a government, new elections in Greece . zeit.de, May 15, 2012
8. ^ New elections on June 17th . Süddeutsche.de; Retrieved May 16, 2012
9. ↑ Focus.de of May 7, 2012: Athens before the total political blockade
10. ↑ electionguide.org
11. ↑ Athens News from May 5, 2012: "Where to Vote, How to Vote" ( Memento of the original from June 14, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
12. ^ Ta Nea of April 26, 2012 tanea.gr
13. ↑ Tagesspiegel of April 12, 2012: “The Greek people's parties are threatened with election failure” ( Memento of the original of April 28, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
14. ↑ Welt from April 12, 2012: "Greeks are pumping 30 million euros into the election campaign"
15. ↑ Die Presse of April 12, 2012: "Spring of the Extremists"
16. ↑ Athens News from April 15, 2012: "Coalition government best solution for Greece, poll shows" ( Memento of the original from April 16, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
17. ↑ Athens News from April 12, 2012: "Samaras still after a second round of elections" ( Memento of the original from April 16, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
18. ^ The Constitution of the Hellenic Republic of June 9, 1975 Verassungen.eu
19. ↑ Samaras gives up forming a government . Spiegel Online , May 7, 2012
20. ↑ Greece's radical left to form government Zeit Online , May 8, 2012
21. ↑ Left leader Tsipras writes fire letter to the EU . zeit.de
22. ↑ ^{a b} Tsipras failed, Venizelos takes over . manager magazin online, May 9, 2012
23. ^ Coalition talks in Athens also failed on the third attempt . süddeutsche.de, May 11, 2012
24. ^ Papoulias advocates government of experts . South German, May 15, 2012