site.btaConfrontation among Greek Parties Heats Up amid Declining Voter Interest

Greece's political parties are struggling to keep up the intensity of their campaigns for the June 9 European elections. Meanwhile, opinion polls show turnout is likely to be lower compared to last year's parliamentary elections.

A survey conducted by the Marc AE polling agency on behalf of ANT1 TV on June 3-5 found that 19.5% of respondents believe the European elections are not as important as the national ones. Their share is 4.3% higher than in the agency's survey in late May.

The survey gave New Democracy 33% support from decided voters - the target set by leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Greece's Prime Minister. The left-wing SYRIZA, the largest opposition party, is second with 16.6% support, followed by PASOK with 11.7%, the nationalist Greek Solution 8.4% and the Communist Party of Greece 7.8%. With 4.3%, the Eurosceptic Course of Freedom is the last party likely to cross the 3% electoral threshold.

According to Politico estimates based on the latest polls, New Democracy will win 9 seats in the European Parliament, SYRIZA 4, PASOK 3, the Communist Party of Greece and Greek Solution 2 each, and Course of Freedom 1.

Given the voters' low interest in this election, the parties seem to be leaving the most powerful part of their campaigns for last. In the last few days, the ruling New Democracy party attacked SYRIZA leader Stefanos Kasselakis about his declaration of financial interests, claiming that it was not submitted on time and raised many questions.

At SYRIZA's final rally in Syntagma Square in Athens, Kasselakis reacted to the allegations by saying: "I have never expected such a smear campaign to be mounted in a European country in an attempt to damage and destroy the political opponent." He attacked Prime Minister Mitsotakis by saying he had built his political career with the help of his family ties and accused him of undeclared housing and offshore accounts.

Kasselakis elaborated on SYRIZA's main promises: charging zero VAT on staple products while the price crisis lasts, capping the profit of electricity companies at 5%, bringing excise duty on fuels to the lowest levels in the EU, granting tax breaks to 99% of citizens and 97% of companies, and reinstating the 13th pension.

The election campaign in Greece will end and probably culminate on Friday night with a New Democracy rally addressed by Mitsotakis.

Thursday's SYRIZA rally was on a smaller scale compared to the closing event for last year's parliamentary elections. If the forecasts for lower mobilization of the ruling party's supporters are confirmed, New Democracy's rally will probably also be on a smaller scale.