The race to the finish: Greece’s top two parties over the decades

The electoral spread between the two top parties is near record level, especially If the opinion polls - which are reminiscent of older elections when two-party predominance was so great that the country was divided into blue (ND) and green (Pasok) cafes - are confirmed.

Back in 1974, New Democracy won the general election by a 20 percentage point spread over Pasok.

At the time, the image was still fresh of Constantine Karamanlis, who would become ND leader, debarking in Athens from an aeroplane just hours after the fall of the junta in 1974.

The main slogan of the November, 1974 elections was "Karamanlis or tanks".

In the elections of 1977 and 1981, the electoral spread between the two top parties was nearly 15 percentage points.
In 1981, the call of Pasok for Allagi (change) gave Pasok a 48 percent majority.

In the ensuing critical years, which were marked by political scandals and epic battles in Parliament between New Democracy and Pasok, the spread between the two top parties was below 10 percentage points.

By 2009, with the economic crisis already baring its teeth and with polarisation having returned to Greek politics, scared citizens seeking a way out handed Pasok a victory with an advantage of 10.45 percentage points over New Democracy.

After the tumultuous year 2012, following the governments of Lucas Papademos and Antonis Samaras, there was a large spread between ND and SYRIZA in the 2015 general election.

Polarisation was at limit high and the electorate was torn between pro- bailout memorandum and anti-memorandum parties. There was fear about the next day and disgust for all that had occurred in 2010.

The safe conclusion is that in difficult conditions two-party hegemony is bolstered and...