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Anastasia Balezdrova

The political thermometer in Greece is rising more and more each passing day. Accounting for the fact that those who have not yet decided whom to support or whether to vote constitute at least 10% of the voters, the parties are putting all their efforts into convincing them to prefer their ballot.

The pre-election spots, some of which are particularly witty, are playing a considerable role in the pre-election campaign as well.

The New Democracy campaign is running with the slogan, "We tell the truth." It started with an advertising spot showing Prime Minister Antonis Samaras speaking to 15-year-old Nicholas, and explaining to him that in order for a football team to be good, it should have a nice stadium. "We are working to build the new stadium in Greece. This is the truth," he is saying at the end of the spot.

In the crucial days before the vote, however, the communication policy of the party has changed. The new spot is presenting in a dramatic tone the day after the election victory of SYRIZA. The video begins with the date of the elections followed by the message, "History can be made in two ways. This is one of them".

According to the scenario, which is presented by headlines in the press, on 26 January SYRIZA is coming to power in Greece, in February it is beginning negotiations with the creditors "from scratch" that are followed by its failure and titles such as "The bluff proved unsuccessful" and next to them, Alexis Tsipras is lost in thought. The free capital markets are refusing to lend to Greece, which is losing the third tranche of the bailout, amounting to 7.2 billion euro. The Greeks are worried that there will be a haircut of bank deposits, the market is beginning to suffer from a lack of liquidity, and the state funds are empty. Europe is turning its back on Greece that is announcing the suspension of payments. Farmers are losing the European subsidies and May is marking a record low number of bookings in Greek resorts. Pensioners are not receiving pensions, banks are closed, there is no fuel and an acute shortage of medicines, and the government of SYRIZA is in a deadlock. The country is padlocked. The spot ends with the message that "Making history depends on each Greek."

For its part, SYRIZA is relying on the problems in Greek society in its campaign, namely youth unemployment, high taxes, pension cuts, the problems of farmers and women's emancipation.

All spots are presenting the radical left as the new force, which will improve the lives of Greeks.

"I will change the country where I am living," a young boy is telling a young girl who is replying with pathos, "I will change the country itself", leaving on her bicycle. Then subsequently, the words dignity, justice, democracy in which the letter "o" is replaced by the sign of the closed state television ERT appear on the wall behind her and the following message is heard, "Hope is coming. Greece is taking a step forward, Europe is changing."

The day after the elections is the topic of SYRIZA’s latest spot too. Unlike that of New Democracy, however, it is presenting a bright future. "On 26 January, an asteroid will pass near Earth, the sun will rise at 07:34 am. Shops and banks will open shortly after 08:00 am. Parents will continue to worry about their children's grades but no family will be concerned that they may end up in the street. On 26 January, the engines will start functioning and society will find its feet. We will begin real negotiations (with the creditors - author's note), drawing a new path together with Europe. On 26 January, Greece will be a country where there will be hope for all."

For the Potami party that was established a year ago and for its leader Stavros Theodorakis the most important message to voters is to think about which party they want to be the third force in terms of votes that will ensure that "no accident will happen in Greece." In the advertising spot, the former journalist and current politician is arguing that "it has never been so important which party will be the third force in terms of votes."

Once almighty and today a small party, PASOK is not hiding its intention to act as a guarantor for the continuation of the plan to recover the Greek economy. In the first spot, aeroplane passengers were unpleasantly surprised by the fact that the pilot welcomed them on his first flight and could not accurately inform them on the height at which they were flying. In the second, the story goes as follows:

"Dear passengers, this is the pilot speaking again. Due to a problem in the flight plan, we have landed in an unknown destination. Stay in place with your belts fastened. I am looking for information about the place. Enjoy your stay on the aeroplane."

The spot ends with the message that on 26 January, Greece will need a flight plan with a clear destination, regardless of who will be the pilot of the aircraft.

One of the funniest spots, full of allusions too, is that of Independent Greeks. In it leader Panos Kamenos is showing a boy how to control his electric train without it running off the rails.

Kamenos is explaining, "To be a good leader you must know when to increase speed and when to decrease it. In this way the train will never run off the rails." Then the child is telling him, "You proved to be very good" and Kamenos is adding, "And needed," omnisciently putting his forefinger on his forehead.

The culmination of the hint that Independent Greeks is the only appropriate governmental partner of SYRIZA is in the next frame in which the child's mother is appearing, telling him, "Alexis, Alexis, come to your senses at last."

In its election spot the Communist Party of Greece is describing New Democracy and SYRIZA as two sides of the same coin, calling on voters to vote for it in order to change it and make it even stronger as an opposition party.

In view of the fact that the leader of Golden Dawn is in custody in Korydallos, in the advertising spot of the party his speech can be heard from the time before the murder of rapper Pavlos Fyssas.