Maybe Kyriakos Mitsotakis has imposed “silence” on the Maximos Palace for the elections and to have turned his attention to the case of the tragic accident at Tempe, but in the background, the concern about the timing of the election battle is widespread.
The national tragedy in Tempe, its impact on society and the criticism of what has not been done in the area of ​​railway safety in the last 3.5 years is the catalyst for the Prime Minister’s final decision on the election.
Already, April 9, as the date to set up the first ballot box of the simple analog, has allegedly been “burnt”. This is because there are only 5 weeks left until Plague Sunday and now most suggestions are based on the logic that there must be a long time gap since the tragic accident.
Elections on May 21?
As revealed yesterday by newsit.gr, the new facts created in the political scene by the unspeakable tragedy in Tempi, strongly put on the table in the last days the suggestion that the polls be held in May, specifically on May 21, without excluding Sunday May 14.
And since the simple proportional ballot is not predicted to produce either an independent government or a cooperation government, the second enhanced proportional ballots are expected to be set up on July 2, after the end of the nationwide exams.
Why elections in May?
Until then, it is estimated that there will be a clear picture of the long-term responsibilities of each government to date, while the government will have sufficient time ahead of it to put into practice its commitment to rail safety and to promote relevant initiatives so that another does not happen again tragedy.
Characteristic of the “alarm” that has been signaled is that a meeting is expected to take place today at the Maximos Palace under the leadership of the Prime Minister and the relevant ministers, in order to review security issues in planes, ships and other means of transport.
Another reason that May is favored for the election is that the time distance since the train crash will leave room for the government to develop its programmatic agenda for the next four years and highlight its achievements, amid multiple crises, in all its sectors.
The background
Well-informed sources explain to newsit.gr that the Prime Minister, in the first days of the tragedy, hoped that it would not be necessary to change the electoral planning for polls on April 9.
However, now only if and as long as there is an escalation of the mobilizations and they take on a kinetic character can it be discussed that the polls be set up immediately, the same source estimates.
With an eye on the polls
The final decision on the time of the elections is expected to be “locked in” towards the end of the week or early next.
At Megaros Maximos they are waiting for the first opinion polls to get an accurate picture of the political impact of this tragedy. The interest is focused on whether and to what extent the ND has polling deterioration, whether the dissatisfaction with the government’s handling is “capitalized” by SYRIZA and PASOK – KINAL, and whether the percentages of the anti-systemic vote are increasing.
“Timeless responsibilities”
The government’s message in all directions is that the responsibilities for this unimaginable accident are eternal and according to information the new Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Giorgos Gerapetritis, in the press conference he will give tomorrow, is expected to highlight the omissions and the responsibilities with documents of all previous governments and especially of SYRIZA in matters of railway safety.
The article The government’s strategy for the day after the tragedy in Tempe – The background for the election was published on NewsIT .
