Title: Greece to hold early election in september
angelo - August 16, 2007 07:36 PM (GMT)
Greece to hold early elections in September
The Associated PressPublished: August 16, 2007
ATHENS, Greece: Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis will call early elections on Friday, six months before his conservative party's four-year mandate expires, the government said.
Karamanlis will meet with President Karolos Papoulias on Friday afternoon and ask for the dissolution of parliament and for elections to be held on Sunday, Sept. 16, government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos said Thursday.
Elections must be called within 30 days of parliament being dissolved.
"Since March 7, 2004, the country has made steady steps in all sectors," Roussopoulos said. "The reforms have started and many of them are already bearing fruit. Much remains to be done."
Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis said an electoral victory in September "will enable us to proceed with what we have undertaken to do."
Today in Europe
Slayings of 6 Italians in German city called 'unprecedented'Ulster athlete takes stand for toleranceErdogan leaves task of approving new Cabinet to next Turkish presidentAnalysts said Karamanlis was seizing the opportunity to renew his mandate based on favorable opinion polls, in order to implement new economic reforms.
"I think the government feels it must open a new front of reforms, and this period of intense speculation on when the elections will be held has effectively brought things to stagnation," said analyst John Loulis.
"The reforms can only acquire a dynamic through a fresh popular mandate," Loulis told The Associated Press. "(Karamanlis) feels strong, he believes that he can achieve a respectable controlling majority in parliament and is determined to clear the scene. The sooner this happens the faster he can proceed."
Loulis said reforms would focus on the pension system, privatization, encouraging private entrepreneurship and strengthening economic growth.
The Socialists, the main opposition party, said they were ready for early elections.
"I anticipate victory," said party leader George Papandreou, asked earlier in the day about the possibility of early elections. Papandreou has repeatedly demanded early polls, accusing the conservatives of corruption and incompetence.
Analyst Giorgos Sefertzis said Karamanlis was trying "to grab a second chance," and was banking on catching the socialists unprepared.
Elected on March 7, 2004 — just before the Athens Olympics — on a reform platform, the conservatives have held a consistent lead in opinion polls. But their popularity has slipped in recent months following a financial scandal and public anger over the government's response to a wave of forest fires this summer.
Loulis said recent polls still gave the conservatives a significant edge over Papandreou's Socialists.
"The prime minister is 15-17 points ahead as most suitable to govern, and the government is perceived as better able to handle problems," he said.
He added that the summer fires — which burned huge expanses in the few forested areas still surrounding the rapidly developing capital — would not have a strong impact on the vote.
"Although the government has suffered minor attrition, there is a general feeling that the problem (of forest fires) is much deeper, and there is no belief that a different government could have done better," Loulis said.
Karamanlis' personal popularity has remained considerably higher than that of Papandreou. The conservatives hold 165 of the 300 seats in parliament, having won 45.4 percent of the vote in 2004.
Karamanlis, 50, is the country's youngest prime minister and the nephew of the late Constantine Karamanlis, who served as both prime minister and president.
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The Associated PressPublished: August 16, 2007
ATHENS, Greece: Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis will call early elections on Friday, six months before his conservative party's four-year mandate expires, the government said.
Karamanlis will meet with President Karolos Papoulias on Friday afternoon and ask for the dissolution of parliament and for elections to be held on Sunday, Sept. 16, government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos said Thursday.
Elections must be called within 30 days of parliament being dissolved.
"Since March 7, 2004, the country has made steady steps in all sectors," Roussopoulos said. "The reforms have started and many of them are already bearing fruit. Much remains to be done."
Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis said an electoral victory in September "will enable us to proceed with what we have undertaken to do."
Today in Europe
Slayings of 6 Italians in German city called 'unprecedented'Ulster athlete takes stand for toleranceErdogan leaves task of approving new Cabinet to next Turkish presidentAnalysts said Karamanlis was seizing the opportunity to renew his mandate based on favorable opinion polls, in order to implement new economic reforms.
"I think the government feels it must open a new front of reforms, and this period of intense speculation on when the elections will be held has effectively brought things to stagnation," said analyst John Loulis.
"The reforms can only acquire a dynamic through a fresh popular mandate," Loulis told The Associated Press. "(Karamanlis) feels strong, he believes that he can achieve a respectable controlling majority in parliament and is determined to clear the scene. The sooner this happens the faster he can proceed."
Loulis said reforms would focus on the pension system, privatization, encouraging private entrepreneurship and strengthening economic growth.
The Socialists, the main opposition party, said they were ready for early elections.
"I anticipate victory," said party leader George Papandreou, asked earlier in the day about the possibility of early elections. Papandreou has repeatedly demanded early polls, accusing the conservatives of corruption and incompetence.
Analyst Giorgos Sefertzis said Karamanlis was trying "to grab a second chance," and was banking on catching the socialists unprepared.
Elected on March 7, 2004 — just before the Athens Olympics — on a reform platform, the conservatives have held a consistent lead in opinion polls. But their popularity has slipped in recent months following a financial scandal and public anger over the government's response to a wave of forest fires this summer.
Loulis said recent polls still gave the conservatives a significant edge over Papandreou's Socialists.
"The prime minister is 15-17 points ahead as most suitable to govern, and the government is perceived as better able to handle problems," he said.
He added that the summer fires — which burned huge expanses in the few forested areas still surrounding the rapidly developing capital — would not have a strong impact on the vote.
"Although the government has suffered minor attrition, there is a general feeling that the problem (of forest fires) is much deeper, and there is no belief that a different government could have done better," Loulis said.
Karamanlis' personal popularity has remained considerably higher than that of Papandreou. The conservatives hold 165 of the 300 seats in parliament, having won 45.4 percent of the vote in 2004.
Karamanlis, 50, is the country's youngest prime minister and the nephew of the late Constantine Karamanlis, who served as both prime minister and president.
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Thermopyles - August 25, 2007 03:28 PM (GMT)
That is very short notice... 1 month? Will anyone have time to run a campaign? What is the political klimate like now in Greece? who is favoured to win?
Landos - September 16, 2007 04:51 AM (GMT)
I'm in Japan until the 22 of September. Greece still planning on holding elections tomorrow (September 16)?
Hades - September 16, 2007 05:52 PM (GMT)
It seems that ND will be the winner again
