The question that has dominated the political wells in recent days is whether or not we will have elections in the fall.

Many have even marked Sept. 27 on the calendar as a possible date, discounting that in that case the prime minister will announce a call to the polls from the podium of DETH, alongside new tax cuts.

Written by Ersi Papadaki

Two, however, are the only true facts that cannot be disputed. The first is that we are in an election period anyway, given that Kyriakos Mitsotakis has explained that for a number of reasons the elections will not be held exactly at the end of the four-year term – that is, in July – but in March or April, a deadline that is perfectly in line with constitutional requirements.

The second thing is that the only person who knows the exact date of the election, or will decide it when he thinks it is the right time, is the prime minister himself and no one else.Even if he takes suggestions from ministers and colleagues, Mr. Mitsotakis is the only one who holds the “keys”…

The Greek presidency

One argument that has long been heard in connection with early elections is the Greek presidency of European Union, which is timed for the second half of 2027. The argument specifically puts forward the need for the country to have a stable government to lead the EU rather than a caretaker or, much less, ungovernable one, as was the case in Belgium for a long period of time a few years ago. This is, after all, why Mitsotakis announced in advance that the polls would be held in March or April 2027.

In fact, given that if there is no self-reliance in the first election – which is not unlikely, based on polls – and a second or even a third election is required, it is easy to understand why the prime minister is talking about March and not July.

Health minister, Adonis Georgiades, said the other day in turn that “elections after the TIF are not considered early“. Several people were quick to interpret this quote as an admission that now the government has decided to set up the polls in the autumn. He did not, however, say anything different from what was described above, with the Prime Minister remaining the one who will make the final decision when he does.

Georgiadis said a “window” opens after the TIF, which ends in March and can be used by Maximos depending on conditions at that time. That is, depending on the polls, the possible presence of other parties in the political scene and the government’s strengths.

Institutional respect

Repeatedly, Mr Mitsotakis, on his part, has stated and demonstrated that he respects the institutions. So he has no reason to do otherwise now – if he did, he would have accepted the suggestions to go to the polls as soon as the OPEKEPE case broke out. So holding elections in March, or even a little, before, cannot be seen as an act of opposition for the Prime Minister.

In 2000 too, Costa Simitis had gone ahead with elections in April instead of September, but this was in no way considered to be anti-establishment. All the more so when the general context was characterised by the forthcoming Greek presidency of the EU, a key event. Whether there will be a “window” and … temptation for Mitsotakis to decide to hold elections in the autumn is a decision solely of the moment and certainly not antithetical.