MacroPolis

First vote for president leaves coalition with uphill task to avoid snap elections

17/12/2014 - 20:49

A total of 160 MPs backed the government's presidential candidate, Stavros Dimas, on Wednesday, which was one vote less than the coalition's most conservative estimates. Another 135 voted "present" and five were absent.

First Greek presidential vote to set tempo for final ballot on Dec 29

17/12/2014 - 10:39

The first round of the presidential ballot on Wednesday evening is unlikely to provide any clear indications about whether the current Greek Parliament will manage to elect a new head of state by the final vote on December 29.

Talk of negative impact from political risk sees tightening of Greek polls

16/12/2014 - 09:58

The sense that Greece is in a full swing election campaign grew on Monday, as New Democracy and SYRIZA traded serious accusations, while Bank of Greece governor Yannis Stournaras warned that political instability is undermining the local economy.

Coalition sets bar low for presidential vote, opts for pre-election rhetoric

15/12/2014 - 11:01

The government appears to have set 165 as its target for the number of MPs’ votes it hopes to garner in the first presidential ballot on Wednesday.

Papandreou seeks new, undefined role on political centre stage in Greece

12/12/2014 - 11:10

Former Prime Minister George Papandreou has added to the political turmoil in Greece by suggesting that he would a seek a central political role if Parliament is unable to elect a president and the country heads to snap elections.

Opposition parties' stance on president provides gov't with little hope so far

11/12/2014 - 11:44

Despite earlier speculation that Democratic Left (DIMAR) might disband so its members could join SYRIZA, the one-time coalition partner decided late on Wednesday that it would not make such a move. DIMAR also reaffirmed its decision not to vote for presidential candidate Stavros Dimas, making the chances of him being elected slimmer.

Could Democratic Left (DIMAR) hold the key to the Greek presidential election result?

10/12/2014 - 10:13

In what could be a very tight presidential election, the role of one-time coalition partner Democratic Left (DIMAR) will be crucial.

All the numbers that matter in the Greek presidential election

09/12/2014 - 12:40

The government’s surprise announcement on Monday that it is bringing forward the presidential election by two months marks the start of a desperate scramble for the votes of independent and opposition MPs that will determine whether the coalition survives or whether Greece heads for early national polls.

Samaras, Venizelos opt for earlier presidential vote in high-risk strategy to save coalition

08/12/2014 - 23:10

The government has decided to move forward by around two months the presidential vote in Parliament, with the first roll call ballot taking place on December 17, followed by the second three days later and the final round on December 29.

Greek MPs pass 2015 budget but give few clues for presidential vote

08/12/2014 - 02:05

The government won the vote for the 2015 budget in the early hours of Monday but the result provided few clues about how the presidential ballot, due in mid-February, could pan out.