Parties grapple with election verdict
PM Mitsotakis responds with reshuffle; socialist leader Androulakis faces internal dissent
Analysts were mostly in agreement on the night of June 9, as the result of the European election became clear: None of Greece’s “big three” parties achieved their stated goals.
Usually, it is the losses of the top party that claim the spotlight. But, unusually, it was socialist leader Nikos Androulakis who faced the most immediate backlash, with several PASOK bigwigs almost in open revolt, demanding an early leadership election, while no New Democracy MP demanded the same for their party. Being in power, and not facing a national poll until 2027 has its advantages.
The reshuffle announced by PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis Friday was widely expected, but was rather limited.
Not that Mitsotakis spared himself, or his party from self-criticism. In his first post-election interview, he called on his ministers to be less haughty and to feel the people’s disappointment in the government. And, acknowledging that he missed his own stated target by almost five percentage points, he added that “the 41%” – the score of last June’s electoral triumph – “does not exist anymore.”
Despite Mitsotakis’ explanation, the reshuffle was clearly targeted to increase the representation of northern Greece – the regions of Central Macedonia and Eastern Macedonia and Thrace – plus the central region of Thessaly – in the cabinet. There were also other moves for a more balanced regional cabinet makeup.
It was not a radical revamp: The three new ministers had already held posts in New Democracy’s first four-year term, from 2019-23. Their experience counted. One of them was chosen to deal with the major issue bothering the voters, persistent inflation.
Kathimerini understands that the Prime Minister’s Office is preparing to set 15 goals to be achieved annually by the next national election, to be held by the summer of 2027 at the latest. The goals, if achieved, would have an immediate impact on citizens’ well-being. In health, for example, a target will be set on hiring new medical personnel in certain hospitals.
Mitsotakis and his aides have concluded that some of the government’s touted reforms, such as legalizing same-sex marriage and allowing the founding of private, nonprofit universities, were not perceived by the majority of the voters as having an impact, positive or otherwise, on their daily lives, and were opposed by some vocal minorities.
