Greek municipal elections: New Democracy retains dominance, but communist KKE make gains

The conservative governing party of New Democracy emerged from the municipal and regional elections as a winner. However, the Greek Communist Party (KKE) made solid gains and fielded candidates in all 13 regions of the country and 262 municipalities. The “People’s Coalition” ballot paper gained over 10 per cent across the 13 areas, up from 6.86 per cent in the 2019 regional elections.

KKE’s incumbent mayor of Patras, Kostas Peletidis, will seek re-election in the second round while enjoying a comfortable gap from ND’s candidate in the first round, while in Kaisariani, Elias Stamelos is leading and has a decent chance of winning in the second round as well. KKE also celebrated the outright election of Fanouris Karoutsos in Ikaria.

The General Secretary of KKE, Dimitris Koutsoubas, said that “the results (…) confirm positive processes taking shape just three months after the parliamentary elections, although the balance of power in Greek politics is still very negative.”We can say that a current of questioning the dominant politics favouring capitalist interests and class divisions is slowly but surely being stabilised and strengthened, as is a certain disengagement of working people’s forces from the various bourgeois parties.”

Koutsoubas added that “confidence in the KKE is rising”.

His statement may seem over-enthusiastic given that four months after national elections, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ ruling ND confirmed its dominance, winning seven regions in the first round. Candidates backed by the conservatives came first in four of the remaining six.

KKE seems to have benefited from SYRIZA, the principal left opposition party, which lost ground in the recent general election.

The “People’s Coalition” enjoyed a nationwide trend of over 10 per cent, compared to 6.86 per cent in the regional elections in 2019 and the 7.69 per cent received in the last parliamentary elections in June. In the country’s largest region, Attica, KKE won 14 per cent of the vote.

“We welcome the election of a mayor again of the “People’s Coalition” after years in Ikaria, on the red island from the first round, Koutsoumbas noted.

He added that “the very high percentage” gained by the mayor of Patras, Kostas Peletidis, “with over 41 per cent”, was welcome despite “the dirty” politics by opponents.