1981 Greek parliamentary election

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1981 Greek parliamentary election
Flag of Greece.svg
  1977 18 October 1981 1985  

All 300 seats in the Hellenic Parliament
151 seats needed for a majority
 First partySecond partyThird party
  Andreas Papandreou.jpg Georgios Rallis v Liuksemburge (29-06-1981).jpg Charilaos Florakis.JPG
Leader Andreas Papandreou Georgios Rallis Charilaos Florakis
Party PASOK ND KKE
Last election25.34%, 93 seats41.84%, 171 seats9.36%, 11 seats
Seats won17211513
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 79Decrease2.svg 56Increase2.svg 2
Popular vote2,726,3092,034,496620,302
Percentage48.07%35.88%10.94%
SwingIncrease2.svg22.73 pp Decrease2.svg5.96 pp Increase2.svg1.58 pp

Prime Minister before election

Georgios Rallis
ND

Prime Minister after election

Andreas Papandreou
PASOK

Parliamentary elections were held in Greece on Sunday, 18 October 1981. [1] [2] PASOK, led by Andreas Papandreou, faced New Democracy, led by Georgios Rallis. Papandreou achieved a landslide and PASOK formed the first socialist government in the history of Greece (in 1963 Centrists had formed a government under the leadership of George Papandreou, Andreas' father, but their party, Centre Union, was not a socialist party but a centrist, social-liberal one).

Contents

Observers had expected a PASOK victory but were surprised by the size of the victory. [2]

185 of the 300 seats were won by PASOK or the Communist Party: both openly eurosceptic. This was the high point of Greek euroscepticism, coming just months after the country's accession to the European Communities. [3]

Results

Greek legislative election 1981.svg
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
PASOK 2,726,30948.07172+79
New Democracy 2,034,49635.88115–56
Communist Party of Greece 620,30210.9413+2
Progressive Party 95,7991.690New
Communist Party of Greece (Interior) 76,4041.350New
KODISOKAE 40,1260.710New
Union of the Democratic Centre 22,7630.400–16
Liberal Party 20,6450.360New
Christian Democracy 8,6380.150New
For a Revolutionary Left6,5950.120New
EKKEM-L KKE 4,7000.0800
International Workers' Union – Trotskyists1,6460.0300
Democratic Social Party1,1000.020New
Byzantine National Organisation4070.010New
Olympic Democracy950.0000
Hellenic Universal Olympic Democracy50.000New
National Refugee Party of Greece "Kimon"20.000New
Independents11,0250.1900
Total5,671,057100.003000
Valid votes5,671,05798.57
Invalid/blank votes82,4211.43
Total votes5,753,478100.00
Registered voters/turnout7,059,77881.50
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

By constituency

ConstituencyPASOKNDKKEKPKKE-ES [a]
%±%±%±%±%±
Achaea55.92Increase2.svg 18.6630.62Decrease2.svg 9.389.19Increase2.svg 1.051.81New1.04Decrease2.svg 0.98
Aetolia-Akarnania48.33Increase2.svg 22.1739.90Decrease2.svg 9.349.31Increase2.svg 1.731.07New0.65Decrease2.svg 0.60
Argolis44.53Increase2.svg 19.0346.83Increase2.svg 0.825.29Increase2.svg 1.841.79New0.69Decrease2.svg 0.30
Arkadia44.91Increase2.svg 23.4642.90Decrease2.svg 5.847.45Increase2.svg 2.423.32New0.77Decrease2.svg 0.34
Arta42.41Increase2.svg 14.5046.52Increase2.svg 7.209.26Increase2.svg 2.400.72New0.76Decrease2.svg 0.43
Athens A44.44Increase2.svg 21.8634.42Decrease2.svg 8.4112.63Increase2.svg 1.122.12New3.26Decrease2.svg 2.74
Athens B48.73Increase2.svg 21.1526.36Decrease2.svg 9.7818.04Increase2.svg 1.951.51New2.75Decrease2.svg 2.43
Attica49.58Increase2.svg 21.5134.85Decrease2.svg 10.2510.73Increase2.svg 3.111.08New0.87Decrease2.svg 0.93
Boeotia52.86Increase2.svg 21.9035.05Decrease2.svg 4.359.16Increase2.svg 1.791.09New1.07Decrease2.svg 0.64
Cephalonia42.56Increase2.svg 18.5132.96Decrease2.svg 6.7117.32Increase2.svg 4.260.58New1.21Decrease2.svg 0.91
Chalkidiki45.97Increase2.svg 20.6645.85Decrease2.svg 6.975.50Increase2.svg 1.340.87New0.81Decrease2.svg 0.86
Chania55.26Increase2.svg 31.8225.11Increase2.svg 9.1011.96Increase2.svg 1.290.31New0.80Decrease2.svg 1.18
Chios48.97Increase2.svg 33.3042.68Decrease2.svg 5.086.18Increase2.svg 0.780.52New1.01Decrease2.svg 1.13
Corfu50.78Increase2.svg 18.7134.04Decrease2.svg 1.4011.62Increase2.svg 1.590.30New1.45Decrease2.svg 1.42
Corinthia50.91Increase2.svg 21.0540.31Decrease2.svg 6.784.61Increase2.svg 0.732.38New0.76Decrease2.svg 0.73
Cyclades47.02Increase2.svg 24.1045.75Decrease2.svg 9.204.56Increase2.svg 1.111.10New0.67Decrease2.svg 1.71
Dodecanese58.19Increase2.svg 30.4830.29Decrease2.svg 11.034.89Increase2.svg 2.170.48New0.80Decrease2.svg 0.35
Drama48.47Increase2.svg 21.1943.74Increase2.svg 4.084.51Increase2.svg 0.910.88New0.74Decrease2.svg 0.77
Elis52.20Increase2.svg 21.2040.44Increase2.svg 5.205.71Increase2.svg 2.010.43New0.52Decrease2.svg 0.43
Euboea55.05Increase2.svg 27.3732.07Decrease2.svg 10.657.50Increase2.svg 2.221.78New0.63Decrease2.svg 0.32
Evros45.82Increase2.svg 24.0640.85Decrease2.svg 13.885.38Increase2.svg 1.686.03New0.73Decrease2.svg 0.97
Evrytania53.16Increase2.svg 24.7241.23Decrease2.svg 5.204.23Increase2.svg 1.180.70New0.36Decrease2.svg 0.19
Florina39.51Increase2.svg 23.8948.69Increase2.svg 1.666.63Increase2.svg 1.833.81New0.63Decrease2.svg 0.30
Grevena47.92Increase2.svg 29.8334.17Increase2.svg 1.7312.31Increase2.svg 4.263.72New0.96Decrease2.svg 0.06
Heraklion65.90Increase2.svg 30.5419.20Decrease2.svg 5.708.46Increase2.svg 1.230.16New0.84Decrease2.svg 1.31
Imathia50.23Increase2.svg 19.6136.06Decrease2.svg 7.2810.21Increase2.svg 1.761.63New0.84Decrease2.svg 1.19
Ioannina45.81Increase2.svg 21.0339.88Decrease2.svg 6.3811.68Increase2.svg 3.570.76New1.13Decrease2.svg 1.38
Karditsa43.85Increase2.svg 17.2940.97Increase2.svg 4.4512.14Increase2.svg 1.181.45New0.75Decrease2.svg 0.26
Kastoria39.78Increase2.svg 20.2952.36Increase2.svg 8.154.18Increase2.svg 1.361.01New0.64Decrease2.svg 0.38
Kavala48.58Increase2.svg 25.2838.86Decrease2.svg 11.648.81Increase2.svg 1.371.08New1.04Decrease2.svg 2.79
Kilkis40.66Increase2.svg 17.0541.85Decrease2.svg 1.1311.21Increase2.svg 1.014.43New0.88Decrease2.svg 0.79
Kozani45.09Increase2.svg 21.3944.11Decrease2.svg 5.717.46Increase2.svg 1.861.44New0.82Decrease2.svg 0.95
Laconia34.32Increase2.svg 18.0953.80Decrease2.svg 1.205.50Increase2.svg 1.334.77New0.58Decrease2.svg 0.30
Larissa45.06Increase2.svg 22.7536.20Decrease2.svg 0.7015.30Increase2.svg 0.241.45New1.02Decrease2.svg 1.29
Lasithi63.24Increase2.svg 37.0629.25Decrease2.svg 0.365.74Increase2.svg 1.550.42Decrease2.svg 0.25
Lefkada39.86Increase2.svg 23.2837.59Increase2.svg 5.7019.04Increase2.svg 0.990.42New2.22Decrease2.svg 2.30
Lesbos39.90Increase2.svg 19.1131.39Decrease2.svg 11.3826.04Increase2.svg 1.670.57New1.43Decrease2.svg 0.77
Magnesia46.39Increase2.svg 26.8535.27Decrease2.svg 7.1514.48Decrease2.svg 0.041.00New1.23Decrease2.svg 2.09
Messenia42.11Increase2.svg 18.7445.80Increase2.svg 1.378.20Increase2.svg 2.122.79New0.61Decrease2.svg 0.25
Pella50.69Increase2.svg 19.5139.42Decrease2.svg 4.796.10Increase2.svg 1.542.18New0.62Decrease2.svg 0.74
Phocis46.30Increase2.svg 22.3443.23Decrease2.svg 11.656.54Increase2.svg 1.642.31New0.64Decrease2.svg 0.38
Phthiotis48.34Increase2.svg 25.6639.89Decrease2.svg 4.087.44Increase2.svg 1.702.95New0.76Decrease2.svg 0.35
Pieria48.06Increase2.svg 24.2540.79Decrease2.svg 3.257.71Increase2.svg 1.152.19New0.78Decrease2.svg 1.12
Piraeus A48.17Increase2.svg 24.3034.17Decrease2.svg 9.7612.20Increase2.svg 1.161.15New1.92Decrease2.svg 2.28
Piraeus B51.16Increase2.svg 24.6923.09Decrease2.svg 9.3221.28Increase2.svg 1.940.60New2.09Decrease2.svg 3.09
Preveza46.18Increase2.svg 11.8141.13Decrease2.svg 3.0810.30Increase2.svg 2.851.15New0.91Decrease2.svg 0.30
Rethymno51.15Increase2.svg 26.8724.67Decrease2.svg 4.825.58Increase2.svg 1.010.59Decrease2.svg 0.27
Rhodope50.83Increase2.svg 34.1539.86Increase2.svg 4.134.11Increase2.svg 1.622.08New0.52Decrease2.svg 0.26
Samos33.79Increase2.svg 22.9141.21Decrease2.svg 2.1821.12Increase2.svg 3.542.50Decrease2.svg 0.57
Serres45.30Increase2.svg 22.2044.05Decrease2.svg 8.507.54Increase2.svg 0.641.29New0.72Decrease2.svg 1.10
Thesprotia55.68Increase2.svg 25.1334.76Increase2.svg 0.667.27Increase2.svg 2.720.92New0.91Increase2.svg 0.16
Thessaloniki A47.63Increase2.svg 25.5132.82Decrease2.svg 12.9813.10Increase2.svg 1.122.05New2.08Decrease2.svg 3.43
Thessaloniki B46.75Increase2.svg 19.2038.56Decrease2.svg 7.6310.53Increase2.svg 0.522.03New0.83Decrease2.svg 1.20
Trikala48.02Increase2.svg 25.6835.04Decrease2.svg 2.1413.73Increase2.svg 1.631.73New0.85Decrease2.svg 0.28
Xanthi34.84Increase2.svg 12.3936.82Decrease2.svg 7.042.78Increase2.svg 0.718.24New0.73Decrease2.svg 0.30
Zakynthos43.12Increase2.svg 22.7337.09Increase2.svg 0.7615.83Increase2.svg 0.041.90New1.40Decrease2.svg 0.60

Aftermath

Papandreou's new government introduced several reforms in the wake of its victory (legalization of civil wedding, new family law, nationalization of certain private companies, etc.).

The main opposition party, New Democracy, faced serious internal conflicts. Georgios Rallis was forced to resign after the defeat, and he was succeeded by Evangelos Averoff, former minister under Karamanlis' governments. In 1984, Averof resigned because of health problems, and Konstantinos Mitsotakis became the new leader of New Democracy. Noteworthy, Mitsotakis and Papandreou were both centrists before 1967 and they belonged to the same party, George Papandreou's Center Union. Nevertheless, they were strong opponents, and they never liked each other. Papandreou was calling Mitsotakis "a defector, an apostate", because in 1965 he defected from the ruling Center Union and participated in a new government pleasing to Constantine II, who had just accepted George Papandreou's resignation after a serious disagreement between the King and the prime minister.

Notes

  1. Compared to Alliance

References

  1. Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p830 ISBN   978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. 1 2 Clogg, Richard (1982). "The greek elections of 1981" . Electoral Studies. 1 (1): 95–99. doi:10.1016/0261-3794(82)90132-9. ISSN   0261-3794.
  3. Verney, Susannah (March 2011). "An exceptional case? Party and popular Euroscepticism in Greece, 1959–2009". South European Society and Politics. 16 (1): 51–79. doi:10.1080/13608746.2010.538960. S2CID   154573367.