Tweak to electoral system divides opposition parties
The government’s expected proposal for switching the electoral system to one of proportional representation continued to cause political reverberations Tuesday.
PASOK’s apparent support for the idea has caused a rift with To Potami, which believes such a change would lead to political instability. New Democracy is also opposed to the proposal. In a TV interview late on Monday, conservative leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that he would seek to repeal any change if he becomes prime minister.
Aides to Potami leader Stavros Theodorakis said Tuesday that they believe PASOK chief Fofi Gennimata has become “trapped” by a wrong decision to support the government’s proposal, which is due to be tabled by the end of the week. The centrist party thinks that doing away with the 50-seat bonus for the winning party would make Greece “ungovernable.”
The two parties’ differences over this issue appear to be damaging their prospects of trying to forge closer links.
Mitsotakis, meanwhile, was in Brussels Tuesday for the meeting of the European People’s Party leaders. He took the opportunity to present his ideas for kick-starting Greece’s economic recovery.
Mitsotakis held talks on the sidelines with Irish Premier Enda Kenny, explaining to him how Greece could achieve primary surpluses of 2 percent of gross domestic product from 2018 onward, as well as growth of 4 percent of gross domestic product.
