ATHENS, June 25. /TASS/. Greece will hold a parliamentary election on Sunday, with 26 parties, four party coalitions and two independent candidates running.
The latest opinion polls show that the center-right New Democracy (ND) party led by ex-Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis may win the election.
Sunday’s vote comes after the May 21 legislative election failed to form a government. In it, ND collected 40.79% of votes and 146 seats in a 300-member legislature, which was not enough to form a cabinet, while the premier was reluctant to form a coalition.
Depending on how many parties will fail to clear the 3% threshold to make it to parliament, Mitsotakis’ party may garner 160 to 168 seats in the parliament which would allow it to form a government. The main opposition party, Coalition of the Radical Left - Progressive Alliance, best known as Syriza, led by former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, may get 16.3% to 18.2% of the vote, and the third largest party, the PASOK - Movement for Change alliance, may win 10 to 12.2% of votes.
Neither Russia’s special military operation nor attitudes toward Moscow were discussed during debates, as the leading parties are practically united in their criticizm of Russia for its special op.
Greece’s ex-Minister of Energy Panagiotis Lafazanis who leads the Democratic Movement of National Liberation party told TASS that this election would hardly improve Greece’s relationship with Russia as he said the right-wing ND, the left-wing Syriza and PASOK are all "parties that heavily depend on the Western centers - the United States, NATO and the Germany-led EU - while pursuing profoundly antidemocratic strategies.".