by George Siakas *
The official article was published in the greek newspaper TA NEA on Friday, September 27, in greek.
The outcome of the election on July 7th it was not a surprise. The divide between the two major parties had been reflected in opinion polls over time and was confirmed in the European elections on May 2019.
Some of the public questions, during the pre-election period, have now been answered. The form of the party system has been clarified. The result of the elections are something familiar. The bipartisanship of 2019 reminds of something from the past.. The two major parties account for over 70% and the form of party competition is more reminiscent of the 2009 elections than the 2012-2015 period. The left-right division, on which electoral competition has been based since the post-election period, remains the main axis of political debate. Particularly on SYRIZA’s side, this dilemma was emphasized during the pre-election period.
Another question that seems to be clear is the strategic positioning of New Democracy and SYRIZA in the center.
The two major parties have, now, so many commons. Some people may not like this , but a careful examination of their positions on basic issues, makes that clear. Such are, for example, the country’s European orientation, the issues of economy and development, the investments, tax cuts, or even welfare state structures. A few days ago, indeed, the positions of the two political leaders in the TIF showed considerable evidence of convergence in the above.
Parties try to be on the center of the political spectrum. SYRIZA, in the context of its partisan reconstruction, seeks to attract new center-left forces. Already before the elections, former PASOK executives had joined on SYRIZA. New Democracy is trying to do the same. The involvement of the centers , as well as executives who had no prior party affiliation with the New Democracy, reinforces the centralized profile of the party.
Have the two parties differences? Of course they are different. They have different historical backgrounds, ideological origins and political course. To these, we should also add the different hierarchy of issues of everyday life or their managerial effectiveness, but this is obviously an other discussion. It is, therefore, reasonable to see differences in their public rhetoric.
The positive of the resemblance of the two major parties is that the political confrontation is disintegrating. Not in terms of political communication, but in substance. Is not a dispute that the country belongs to the west, it is part of the European edifice and its basic plan to get out of the crisis. Political confrontation does not affect Greece’s achievements and priorities and – notably – does not put the country in danger, like the period 2011-2015.
*George Siakas is the Research Director of Public Opinion Research Unit.
