London, Thanasis Gavos

The “political exaggeration” of Kyriakos Mitsotakis about an “earthquake” on the night of the election results seems almost justified, comments the Guardian in its main article on the Greek elections entitled “The new hegemony”.

It is noted that before Sunday and for more than 40 years no ruling party had increased its percentage in an election.

It is also reported that the estimates of damage to Mr. Mitsotakis from the surveillance scandal and the Tempe tragedy were refuted.

Now, adds the British newspaper article, in second elections and with a new electoral system Kyriakos Mitsotakis will probably secure an important one mandate.

Analysis of the result

Trying to explain the result, the newspaper says that it is partly due to economic indicators progress in the country and partly because voters sought stability and Continuityhaving been hurt by the debt crisis.

From her point of view leftthe article also states, the election constitutes a defeat that “may prove the bleak finale of a political cycle that began in 2015 with the mandate that Alexis Tsipras had won to resist the crushing austerity measures” demanded by the troika.

It is commented that the circumstances of the reversal of the then prime minister have fragmented the left and undermined its credibility, as a result of which it seems that faith in the main progressive party of Greece and its leader has been lost.

And his reappearance PASOK “perhaps hints at a future realignment,” the Guardian adds, with Mr Tsipras’ political future looking uncertain after the “humiliating” result.

The article concludes with the assessment that for the sake of the millions of Greek households living close to the brink, the opposition parties must quickly regroup and find common ground, because “Mr Mitsotakis’ market-friendly reforms are pleasing banks and investors and they reassure the middle class, but the less affluent continue to suffer the dire effects of punitive and sustained austerity.”

The article ends by noting that Greeks’ living standards have fallen at the expense of economic stability and debt repayment, and noting that after a disastrous night, progressive forces must find a way back into the debate.

In another analysis of the election result by the same newspaper, entitled “The election victory of the Greek prime minister is due to the recovery from the economic crisis”, it is commented that the Greek voters credited Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his conservative party with the reconstruction after the disaster.

The figures illustrating this “disaster” are listed and contrasted with the government’s achievements in terms of the “unexpectedly” high rate of growth, the reduction of unemployment, the prospect of recovery of the investment grade and infrastructure projects.

The analysis closes with the comment that even if the European accuracy crisis bites harder in Greece than elsewhere, the country is far from where it was a decade ago – “and for that the voters seem to have thanked Mitsotakis”.

On its website, the Guardian also hosts statements from six Greek voters explaining their choice at the ballot box.

In a more recent report on the election result, the Financial Times, moreover, writes that Mr. Mitsotakis is expected to continue economic reforms with a business-friendly mentality and to accelerate the absorption of EU recovery funds from the pandemic.

As most British news outlets do these days, however, the FT’s response once again highlights the question marks surrounding the surveillance scandal and allegations of illegal migrant deportation.