MacroPolis

Samaras softens stance on snap elections as decisive presidential vote looms

21/12/2014 - 21:46

In one more tactical move before the critical final vote for president, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras softened his stance on Sunday, offering a deal to any parties or MPs that back his candidate Stavros Dimas and help avoid snap elections.

New claim of attempt to bribe MP casts shadow over presidential vote

19/12/2014 - 15:13

New allegations of attempts to bribe an Independent Greeks MP have surfaced, threatening to cast a shadow over the presidential vote and perhaps affect the way that undecided parliamentarians vote.

PM and SYRIZA deaf to calls for compromise over president so far

19/12/2014 - 10:18

The prospect of some kind of last minute deal emerging to secure the election of a president and averting snap elections in Greece is looking slim at the moment despite a growing number of government MPs openly stating their support for a compromise solution.

The possible scenarios for avoiding snap elections in Greece

18/12/2014 - 12:32

Wednesday’s presidential ballot, in which government candidate Stavros Dimas attracted just 160 votes, leaves the coalition with a huge amount of work to do by the final vote on December 29 if it is to have any chance of avoiding early election.

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.