European elections: Center-left and far-right in the spotlight
As political parties hammer out their strategies for the next five months leading up to the European Parliament elections, the primary focus is shifting to the opposition as ruling New Democracy maintains an unchallenged substantial lead.
Despite the cost of living crisis affecting households and the upcoming policies and legislative initiatives that may cause internal disruptions, the party does not appear to be under any threat at this stage.
In this light, attention is turning to two other political areas:
Firstly, to the broader center-left, where the challenge lies in creating conditions for the currently fragmented political space to articulate a meaningful opposition discourse. This discourse should garner sufficient support to be perceived as a genuinely realistic alternative to the government. However, for this to occur, there must be a minimal level of collaboration, if not a fully-fledged alliance (a merger, after all, seems impossible right now), so that the overall percentage is convincing and promising.
It’s not merely a matter of numbers and additions but of substance and policies. Herein lies a significant challenge for the three parties in this segment of the political spectrum – PASOK, SYRIZA and New Left.
The signs so far, however, are not very encouraging. The projected image is one of division, confrontation, and competition, often taking on characteristics of personal rivalry, rather than convergences, consensuses, and common ground.
The other political sphere of interest is to the right of New Democracy, where, unlike the past, three parties together make up a significant 13%.
Combined with the gradual shift of the governing party, under the guidance of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, towards more liberal policies, there could potentially be developments.
The less-driven voting behavior usually displayed in the European Parliament elections inversely affects the two spheres. It does not make it easier for the center-left, whose strengthening would stabilize the political landscape, to come together, while encouraging the empowerment of the far-right, which, on the contrary, could act as a destabilizing development.
