Greek voters are embracing a conservative shift in the upcoming presidential election, with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ nomination of Konstantinos Tasoulas sparking interest and debate.
A Conservative Shift in Greece: Signs of a Swing to the Right?
The upcoming presidential election in Greece has sparked interest due to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ decision to nominate Konstantinos Tasoulas, a member of his own conservative New Democracy party. This move is seen as a response to pressure from the right and could signal a shift towards conservatism.
Tasoulas: The Conservative Candidate
Konstantinos Tasoulas, 65, is expected to need four rounds to gain enough votes from lawmakers to win the election. He lacks the bipartisan luster to secure the necessary two-thirds majority of parliament in an earlier round. In contrast, Greece’s current president, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, breezed through the election with 261 votes in 2020.
Multiple Opposing Candidates
Tasoulas is not popular enough to secure enough votes in the first election rounds but is still projected to win. He will face three opposing candidates: Tassos Giannitsis from the social-democratic Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), Louka Katseli from the center-left SYRIZA party, and Kostas Kyriakou from the new ultraconservative party Niki.
Breaking with Tradition
Prime Minister Mitsotakis’ decision to nominate a conservative candidate breaks with 50 years of political tradition. Until now, conservative administrations have proposed progressive presidential candidates, and vice versa. The question remains as to why Mitsotakis didn’t propose Sakellaropoulou for a second term, despite her popularity.
A Right-Wing Shift
The answer lies in the fact that Sakellaropoulou was not popular with the government’s right wing due to her liberal views on minorities and alternative lifestyles. Mitsotakis chose Tasoulas to avoid antagonizing his right-wing delegates. This move suggests that Mitsotakis feels threatened by the right and is adapting to a new zeitgeist.
A Swing to the Right
Greece’s right-wing parties are gaining strength, with right-wing populist and far-right extremist parties gathering almost 20% of the vote in the 2024 European parliamentary elections. A strong personality on the right could emerge at any time and gather support. In this new Trump era, a right-wing leading figure would likely be backed by other strongmen.
Implications
The nomination of Tasoulas as president sits well with the understanding that the new zeitgeist is a hard swing to the right. His loyalty to his party and its leader is crucial in securing his position. The implications of this shift towards conservatism are yet to be seen, but it could have significant consequences for Greece’s politics and society.
A New Era?
As Greece’s presumptive next president, Tasoulas’ most important trait is his loyalty to his party and its leader. His well-educated background and sense of humor may not be enough to address the concerns of a divided country. The question remains as to whether this shift towards conservatism will bring about positive change or further polarization.
