Less than 7 days remain to the first round of mayoral and regional elections in Greece. Election vehemence ran hot and the main subject is not regional development but the economic policy of the government which is creating quite a headache for the ruling Socialists. The law prohibits the results of opinion polls to be disclosed 15 days before the elections but they are crucially important to political parties to determine their final tactics.
The second round battle is crucial for PASOK, but the party believes that if confidence in its candidates prevails even during the first Sunday, there will follow wave of rejection of the other formations, which participate in elections with the main motto to fight against the economic support referendum that the government has signed with the International Monetary Fund, the European Union and the European Central Bank. At the same time, PASOK is aiming at taking the lead (even with one vote) against the ‘blue players’ in the regions in which New Democracy believes there will be political derby match.
According to a secret poll done at the expense of PASOK, the party should win still in the first round of elections in regions that are considered certain (Crete, Western Greece and South Aegean) and for regions like Epirus, Thessaly and Central Greece candidates could change the present situation if they persuade and mobilize hesitant voters. In Attica and the Ionian Islands, where the polls show rival candidates that belonged to PASOK previously have the lead, efforts are aimed at limiting the votes outflow and, if possible, at changing the composition of couples expected to go to the second round.
What are the forecasts at the moment? According to the survey conducted on behalf of PASOK, the party can win the first round in the regions of Crete, South Aegean and Western Greece and guaranteed are considered the regions of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace and Peloponnese, where PASOK supports the independent candidate Petros Tatoulis, former minister in the government of Costas Karamanlis. Almost all surveys show that the battle for the regions of Epirus, Thessaly and Central Greece will be solved at the last minute. For its part, New Democracy believes that it will win in Central Macedonia even during the first Sunday, and the chances to win in western Macedonia are great as surveys show that the lead of its candidate there is great.
Meanwhile, the independent mayor candidate of Thessaloniki Giannis Boutaris was attacked by the Archbishop Antim of the city, who stated that ‘while I'm alive, you will not see the mayoralty.’ The episode was a continuation of an old ‘dispute’ between them. Boutaris, whose candidacy is supported by the ruling party, recently characterized the Archbishop ‘mujahideen’ that ‘instead of organizing charity lunches for the poor he every week changes his cassock,’ and that he and the former mayor and governor are ‘the troika of conservatism’ in the city. According to Boutaris, the fact that his main rival - the candidate of New Democracy Costas Giulekas – was not inclined to make a statement on this occasion means that he does not want to disrupt his good relations with the Archbishop and the voters he has influence upon. The polls show Giulekas has more chances to win the mayor's chair of Thessaloniki.
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