Preparing for the next two elections

It's been less than three months since ruling New Democracy confirmed its electoral triumph in May in a second national election, on June 25, that saw it win well over double the share of the vote that second-placed SYRIZA received - 40.56% to 17.83%.

But party officials from Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on down have started preparing for the upcoming electoral battles, the local and regional polls in October and the elections for the European Parliament in June 2024.

Next week is important for both biggest parties. Leftist SYRIZA members will vote for a new leader for the first time in 15 years, as the successive heavy national election defeats forced Alexis Tsipras to step down. And Mitsotakis will give a keynote speech outlining the coming year's economic policies, with less margin this time for voter-pleasing handouts, leaving the prime minister to use the...