| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Vouli Ton Ellinon / Hellenic Parliament |
| Structure of parliament |
Unicameral |
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) |
20 September 2015 |
| Purpose of elections |
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) and its junior coalition partner, the Independent Greeks (AnEl, led by Mr. Panos Kammenos), retained a majority in the 300-member Parliament. Together they took 155 seats, down from 162 in January 2015. New Democracy (ND) remained the second largest party after SYRIZA with 75 seats. Six other parties won seats in parliament. SYRIZA's splinter party, the Popular Unity (co-led by former Minister of Productive Reconstruction, Environment and Energy, Mr. Panagiotis Lafazanis and outgoing Speaker Zoe Konstantopoulou) failed to win parliamentary representation. On 21 September, Mr. Tsipras was sworn in for a second term and subsequently formed a new coalition government comprising SYRIZA and AnEl. During the election campaign, the major parties focused on economy and the new bailout agreement.
The September elections were the second snap elections in 2015. Mr. Tsipras came to power following the January elections, pledging to renegotiate the conditions of the country's EUR 240 billion bailout agreements with the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund, and to abolish many of the austerity measures. On 27 February, the new Prime Minister obtained an extension of the second bailout until 30 June.
On 27 June, Mr. Tsipras called a referendum on the new bailout conditions proposed by the European Commission, stating they were unacceptable. The bailout included proposals to raise the age of retirement to 67 years old and to increase VAT. Over 61 per cent of voters rejected the proposed deal. However, following mounting pressure from his counterparts in Europe, on 13 July, the Prime Minister agreed to conditions similar to those proposed before the referendum in return for a bailout of EUR 86 billion over three years. On 16 July, Parliament passed an agreement to seek a third bailout with support from opposition parties. Around a third of SYRIZA members voted against or abstained from the vote. On 13 August, Parliament approved austerity measures required for the new bailout thanks to the support of opposition parties. Only 118 out of 162 members on the government side voted in favour. After losing his majority in Parliament on 20 August the Prime Minister announced his resignation. The President of the Supreme Court, Ms. Vassiliki Thanou, succeeded him in an acting capacity, thereby becoming the first woman Prime Minister of Greece. On 28 August, President Prokopis Pavlopulos dissolved Parliament and called for early elections to be held on 20 September.
|
Date of previous elections: 25 January 2015
Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature: 28 August 2015
Timing of election: Early elections
Expected date of next elections: September 2019
Number of seats at stake: 300 (full renewal)
Number of candidates: 4,756
Percentage of women candidates: Not available*
*The Directorate of Elections did not publish the gender-breakdown for the 4,756 candidates.
There were 3,156 candidates for the eight winning parties of whom 1,105 were women, or 35%, according to the Directorate for Development & Support of Policies on Gender Equality.
Number of parties contesting the election: 19*
*14 parties and 5 coalitions
Number of parties winning seats: 8*
*Including one coalition
Alternation of power: No
Number of parties in government: 2
Names of parties in government: Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) and Independent Greeks (AE)
Date of the first session of the new parliament: 3 October 2015
Name of the new Speaker: Mr. Nikolaos Voutsis (Coalition of the Radical Left, SYRIZA) |
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 | 20 September 2015 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
9'839'809
5'566'038 (56.57%)
|
|
Notes
|
|
| Distribution of votes |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Candidates |
Votes |
|
|
% |
|
|
| Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| New Democracy (ND) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Golden Dawn (Chryssi Ayghi) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Democratic Coalition (PASOK-DIMAR) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Communist Party (KKE) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The River (To Potami) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Independent Greeks (AnEl) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Union of Centrists (EK) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Total
|
|
|
|
|
| Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) |
145
|
|
|
|
|
| New Democracy (ND) |
75
|
|
|
|
|
| Golden Dawn (Chryssi Ayghi) |
18
|
|
|
|
|
| Democratic Coalition (PASOK-DIMAR) |
17
|
|
|
|
|
| Communist Party (KKE) |
15
|
|
|
|
|
| The River (To Potami) |
11
|
|
|
|
|
| Independent Greeks (AnEl) |
10
|
|
|
|
|
| Union of Centrists (EK) |
9
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
241
59
19.67%
|
| Distribution of seats according to age |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to profession |
|
|
| Comments |
Sources:
Parliament (05.10.2015, 01.01.2017, 31.08.2018)
http://www.ekloges.ypes.gr/
Directorate of Elections (09.10.2015)
Directorate for Development & Support of Policies on Gender Equality (13.10.2015)
Note on the Distribution of seats:
The Democratic Coalition comprised the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) and the Democratic Left (DIMAR). |
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Last elections module
