Unexpectedly, after defeating Syriza with a slim precedence in the first round, in the second round, PASOK candidate Haris Doukas won with almost 56% of the vote, defeating the incumbent Kostas Bakoyiannis, and getting almost 10 points ahead, electing 6+20 councilors, having been supported by Syriza (in the second round), Volt, the Pirate Party and other green parties, receiving an absolute 3/5s majority in the municipal council as per a new electoral law.[2][3][4]
Background
Previous Election
In the previous election incumbent PASOK list, with its former candidate not running, was defeated by challenger Bakoyannis winning 21 out of the 49 seats, with Syriza candidate Nasos Iliopoulos coming second being defeated in the second round with ND candidate being ahead with an over 40 point margin, yet this being with the previous electoral law Bakoyannis failed to achieve a full majority in the council. With other smaller candidates also picking up seats such as Pavlos Geroulanos of PASOK managing to elect 8 seats, Golden Dawn candidate and former spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris electing 5 and KKE candidate Nikos Sofianos electing 4.[5]
The New Democracy government changed the law on local elections, enacting "Law 4804/2021". As per this law, "The distribution of municipal or regional council seats between the successful and runner-up list is done by a system of Reinforced proportionality, so that the successful combination holds at least 3/5 of the council seats.". Also stating that when it comes to the percentage needed for a list to enter the council and the percentage needed or the elections to lack a second round that "[...] in order for a list to be entitled to at least one seat on the municipal or district council, it must receive at least 3% of the valid ballots in the first round of elections. The combination that received at least 43% of the valid ballots plus one vote in the first round is declared successful and its head is elected mayor or regional governor."[7][8]
Reactions
This law faced backlash with parties on the threshold, such as, but not limited to, the parties conjoined in Antarsya calling the law undemocratic and that ND was attempting to reinforce their own position by removing simple proportionality. [9]
The list surpassed Syriza's candidate, and entered the second round, whereby securing the support of Syriza, as well as the support from groupings within Antarsya, Doukas managed to defeat incumbent ND affiliate Kostas Bakoyannis and elect 26 councilors.[12][2][13]
Athens High Up (Athina Psila)
Athens High Up (Greek: Αθήνα Ψηλά, romanized:Athina Psila) officially Athens High Up Kostas Bakoyannis was the incumbent list endorsed by the governing party New Democracy with its candidate being incumbent mayor Kostas Bakoyannis.
The list was defeated by challenger Haris Doukas with a 10 point difference.[14]
Open City (Anoihti Poli)
Open City (Greek: Ανοιχτή Πόλη, romanized:Anoihti Poli) was the list endorsed by the then main opposition party Syriza, its candidate being Kostas Zachariadis who was chosen through a slim margin 17-15 in the political secretary, with other options being basketballer Nikos Pappas.[15]
Zachariadis was eliminated in the first round of voting only receiving slightly more than 13% of the vote, later endorsing Doukas and his list.[1]
Popular Athenian Coalition (Laiki Syspeirosi Athinas)
Popular Athenian Coalition (Greek: Λαϊκή Συσπείρωση Αθήνας, romanized:Laiki Syspeirosi Athinas) was the list endorsed by the Communist Party of Greece(KKE) with their candidate Nikolaos Sofianos.
The list managed to elect 2 councilors including Kasidiaris
Subversive alliance for Athens (Anatreptiki Symmahia gia tin Athina)
Subversive alliance for Athens (Greek: Ανατρεπτική Συμμαχία για την Αθήνα, romanized:Anatreptiki Symmahia gia tin Athina) officially "The subversive alliance for Athens"-"Mutiny in the neighborhoods of Athens"-"Anticapitalist Subversion in Athens/Mutiny to the EU-KEFA-LAIO-Unbowed City and collaborating fighters" was a list of a coalition of Far-Left Groups that united when ND enacted a new election law that made it mandatory for a list to reach at least 3% to elect a councilor. Uniting behind lawyer of the Golden Dawn trials Kostas Papadakis, the group was backed by Antarsya and MeRA25.[18][8][9]
The group reached 6% in the election electing Kostas Papadakis as its Councilor.
Our Athens (I Athina Mas)
Our Athens (Greek: Η Αθήνα Μας, romanized:I Athina Mas) officially OUR Athens Eleni Papadopoulou was the only independent list the elections with their candidate being Eleni Papadopoulou, the list's beliefs tend to be in line with more right-wing thought with their candidate criticizing pride parades and illegal immigration.[19][20]
The list ended up electing its candidate as councilor with almost 4% of the vote.
All seven Municipal Communities were won by Kostas Bakoyannis in the first round but with the new electoral law in all individual councils Haris Doukas won a 3/5 majority due to his victory in the second round, with all other lists getting either 1 or no seats in every Community Council.[8]
Note: The results of the second round are not stated for each Community yet are stated for every polling place. This may be because the seats are distributed independently of how the community voted in the second round and distributed according to the results of the first round and the overall victor of the second round.[21][7]
Aftermath
Reactions
The victory of the ecologist list of Haris Doukas backed by PASOK, came as a massive surprise to many, with the newly reelected New Democracy suffering a blow by losing Athens, the biggest and most populous municipality in Greece. While PASOK considered this as a victory claiming to be the 2nd power nationwide in the local elections, with Syriza also congratulating Doukas for his victory having had their then leader Stefanos Kasselakis endorse him in the second round.[22]
Post-Election proposed reforms
The New Democracy government after the end of the second round of the elections brought up the possibility of new reforms being proposed for the local election. With new digital voting and the possibility of by-elections, also removing "crosses", meaning preferred voting of individual candidates instead of just voting the list as a whole, this being the same model followed by the state in Parliamentary elections.
This "Livanios Plan" saw backlash by opposition parties. Then Syrizaparliamentary group spokesman Nikos Pappas rejected the plan, proposing a plan with second choice votes stating that "this plan [The one proposed by ND] is not steering in this direction". PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis exclaimed criticism, stating that New Democracy is undermining Local governance, further calling local governance "Fundamental to our Democracy".[23]
The resignation of Ilias Kasidiaris
The reelection of former member of Neo-Nazi criminal group Golden Dawn and convicted criminal Ilias Kasidiaris caused massive backlash amongst many antifascist groups including Kostas Papadakis' Antarsya endorsed list and, possibly due to this pressure, Kasidiaris resigned on 1 January 2024 having just taken the position.[24]
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