Parties catch breath ahead of polls

The election campaign ended on Friday midnight and parties are bracing for the voting process that starts at 7 a.m. on Sunday.

This was a campaign that was far more focused than before on getting the message through to voters via television and the Internet, most notably the social media such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, although there was still some clinging-on to past habits such as election banners and leaflets as well as open rallies.

There was more television airtime allocated to non-parliamentary parties that have fielded candidates across the country, as they were given two five-minute slots during the campaign instead of one, and advertising time worth 20,100 euros.

The Interior Ministry announced that total expenses for the whole of the electoral process will not exceed 50 million euros, after going over 100 million in the last election in October 2009.

On May 6, election day, museums and archaeological sites will remain closed.