While the next local elections are still almost three years away, behind-the-scenes maneuvering for the country’s major municipalities appears to have already begun, with political interest focusing on the largest municipality in the country, the Municipality of Athens.
Read: “They’re considering Zacharaki for Athens Municipality as New Democracy’s official candidate”
Historically, the outcome of municipal elections in the capital has sent significant political messages, and it’s characteristic that New Democracy chooses to endorse the mayoral candidate it supports, recognizing that to a large extent the vote in Athens municipality – as well as in Thessaloniki – has political characteristics, something not observed in other municipalities across the country, where voter preference is primarily determined by personal factors and local performance.
Local elections: Strategic goal for New Democracy to reclaim Athens Municipality
In this context, reclaiming Athens municipality constitutes a strategic goal for New Democracy in the 2028 elections, where former mayor Kostas Bakoyannis will serve as the “regulator” for the ruling party’s choices.
Given that the next national elections will precede the local ones, the balance of power emerging from the 2027 parliamentary ballot will decisively influence developments in Athens Municipality.
The former mayor keeps his distance from scenarios and rumors, waging combative opposition against the municipal administration of Haris Doukas, however behind the scenes discussions about his political future have begun as we approach national election time. The dominant scenario concerns Bakoyannis’s renewed bid for Athens Municipality, where he would undisputedly have New Democracy’s endorsement and support. However, should Bakoyannis choose to transition from Local Government to the central political stage as a parliamentary candidate in Athens First District, this would inevitably create a major gap in the municipality, which – according to sources – Pireos Street would fill with a first-class figure of high recognition and acceptance, to ensure reclaiming the capital’s mayoral seat.
Zacharaki, Kefalogianni and Plevris on the decision table
Information from the “Big Mouth” column of powergame.gr reports that Education Minister Sofia Zacharaki, New Democracy’s top vote-getter in East Attica, is being included in polls for Athens Municipality, while her potential candidacy shows momentum for contesting Athens as mayoral candidate. However, the minister’s circle states that she has no such intention and that her absolute priority is to complete the government’s reforms and remain faithful to her ministerial duties.
Similarly, according to sources, the name of Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni has been placed on the decision table, who maintains strong influence in Athens First District, where she has been elected MP from 2012 to present, with her keeping distance from these specific scenarios, expressing to her contacts her puzzlement about how rumors of her municipal candidacy are circulating, eighteen months before the government’s term ends and three years before Local Government elections.
Simultaneously, among the figures being explored for the capital’s municipality is Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris, also elected in the capital’s first district. Thanos Plevris’s case constitutes, according to many, the appropriate solution for the municipality, as it’s estimated he would rally the right-wing audience in Athens areas where New Democracy had defections from the right. Additionally, Plevris, with the track record he has shown so far in his Migration portfolio, could support the mayoral candidate’s difficult mission.
Difficult equation on the road to the next national elections
In any case, Athens First District constitutes a difficult equation on the road to the next national elections. In the June 2023 national elections, New Democracy, with 43.27%, elected six MPs, however with today’s polling data the ruling party is expected to elect 4-5 MPs in this district. Despite the very strong possibility that Parliament Speaker Nikitas Kaklamanis will not be a candidate MP again with preferential votes, the assessment remains that one or two sitting MPs face the risk of finding themselves outside Parliament.
Kostas Bakoyannis’s potential candidacy makes things even more difficult and reshuffles Athens’s political deck. Except for Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis, who leads in polls, Ministers Vassilis Kikilias, Olga Kefalogianni, Thanos Plevris and former Deputy Minister Angelos Syrigos have minimal distance between them, making Athens’s “battle” difficult, especially if Kostas Bakoyannis is added to them.
Published in Parapolitika
