Top party: The beach
The roadside above Limanakia in the southern Athenian suburb of Vouliagmeni was lined with parked cars on Sunday. People began flocking to the coastal coves early in the afternoon and stayed until late in the evening. Similar scenes were seen at other beaches in Attica – the beaches of Legrena and Alimos were also packed – as well as almost everywhere else in the country. Some had gone to the polls earlier in the morning to cast their votes. Others planned to vote later in the afternoon, after swimming in the sea. However, most people preferred not to spend their Sunday voting in the European elections, especially on a June Sunday with high temperatures; in Attica, the mercury reached 37 degrees Celsius.
‘I don’t want to vote – there should be some necessary qualifications to run for office’
Was it only the heat and the sea that kept voters away from the polls and led to record abstention? Probably not. That record abstention rate, around 60%, in Sunday’s elections seems to have multiple causes: a combination of apathy, boredom and lack of awareness about the stakes of the European elections. These are troubling signs of political disillusionment among both young and older voters. In reports from Alexandroupoli to Lesvos, many expressed their disinterest in participating in the electoral process due to disappointment with the political system, including longtime voters.
“I have hardly paid any attention to the European elections,” a 35-year-old Athens resident told Kathimerini, echoing the sentiments of many who seem to believe that European elections are not as crucial to the country’s future as national elections. “Also, when I see candidates chosen for their recognizability, from showbiz or sports, I don’t want to vote – there should be some necessary qualifications to run for office,” she added, noting that most of her friends also abstained. For some, there was no dilemma between the beach and the ballot box. George, a non-resident voter, couldn’t leave Athens this weekend to vote, nor did he want to deal with the postal voting process, he told Kathimerini. Meanwhile, a 34-year-old voter from Thessaloniki missed the postal voting deadline and wasn’t willing to spend time and money traveling from Athens to her polling station for the European elections, something she did for previous national and local elections.
Ultimately, for many on Sunday, anything else seemed more important than voting. The Coldplay concert at OAKA, a children’s party they needed to attend with their kids, a weekend on an island. Rita M. didn’t go to vote because she couldn’t stand the heat and, as she told Kathimerini, this was the first time her 92-year-old mother did not participate in elections. “She has never missed a vote – now she doesn’t want to vote for anyone.”
