Election campaign in Greece as a drag through the mud

Greece is in the middle of an election campaign, although the date for the parliamentary elections has not yet been set. The legislative term regularly ends in July 2023, but there may still be a special election on April 9.

However, two things are already certain: first, the public will not get answers to the open questions about the ever-widening wiretapping affair, and second, the election campaign is likely to turn into a mudslinging between the ruling conservative New Democracy and the leftist Syriza alliance.

That became clear during a three-day debate in the Greek parliament last week that began after opposition Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras launched a no-confidence motion against the government. The reason for this was the report of the Data Protection Authority (ADAE) on the wiretapping scandal that has been preoccupying Greece for months.

Namely, it was confirmed that the Greek secret service EYP wiretapped Labor Minister Kostas Tsacidakis, as well as five high-ranking military officials, including the Chief of General Staff of the Greek Armed Forces Konstantinos Floros. Months earlier, it became known that the member of the European Parliament, Nikos Andrulakis, the president of PASOK, the third largest party, as well as two journalists, were tapped.

The prime minister responds laconically to the accusations

When asked why, MPs and the Greek public did not receive an answer from Prime Minister Kirjakos Mitsotakis during the debate. Although he did not deny the surveillance, he allegedly knew nothing about it. "The judiciary will clarify the case," Mitsotakis replied simply. At the same time, he used the debate to talk at length and extensively about the mistakes of the previous government and the scandals in which Syriza politicians were allegedly involved during their mandate from 2015 to 2019. In the light of the upcoming parliamentary elections, he accused the President of Syriza Tsipras of starting a political struggle of "retreating through the mud".

Tsipras, on the other hand, called on the parliament to make a decision "for or against democracy". He accused Mitsotakis of lying and asked how it was possible that the prime minister knew nothing about the wiretapping scandal, even though he made the secret service a top priority when he took office in 2019.

Survived the vote of no confidence

After a debate in which serious accusations could be heard and which led to extreme polarization, Prime Minister Mitsotakis was voted in confidence by all 156 deputies of the ruling party, and thus by the majority of the 300-member parliament. Even Minister Čacidakis, who himself was a victim of wiretapping, was convinced that the Prime Minister knew nothing.

The Greek population, however, was not convinced. According to the latest survey by the Athens public opinion polling institute "Prorata", almost 70 percent of citizens believe that Mitsotakis knew about the wiretapping. More than half of those surveyed believe that wiretapping is "wrong" and "harmful to democracy."

Mitsotakis in the lead

At the same time, Greek citizens are convinced that Mitsotakis has no interest in investigating the wiretapping affair. However, there is no particular anger in the public about it. Despite the wiretapping, opinion polls show New Democracy still leading Syriza by five or more percentage points. Mitsotakis's party could thus win between 30 and 33 percent of the vote, but that would not be enough to continue governing independently. The conservatives will therefore need a coalition partner.

It will most likely be the social democratic PASOK, with which New Democracy was previously in a coalition (2012 - 2015). This would, however, assume that its president Andrulakis forgives the wiretapping and trusts his possible coalition partner. That is unlikely at this point.