Greece ahead of the European elections
by
Marian Wendt, Vasilis Karydas-Yfantis
Nea Demokratia favored despite crises, national issues dominate, EU issues such as defense and labor shortage in the background
The upcoming European elections in Greece on 9 June are being influenced by growing discontent and concern in the government camp. The rise of far-right parties, persistent inflation, a train accident in Tempi and a bugging scandal have put the governing party Nea Dimokratia (ND) in a defensive position. A few weeks before the European elections, a clear favourite is emerging: Nea Demokratia (ND) is expected to come first. The opposition party SYRIZA has secured second place, while PASOK, the socialist party, is in third place. The Greek European elections are centred around national issues. But the debate neglects critical EU issues such as defence, agricultural policy, an ageing population and labour shortages.
