Analysis by YIANNIS MAVRIS* The return to the daily political ‘routine’ of handling the economic crisis in the aftermath of the November local and regional elections has been very rapid. Despite the considerable weakening of the rul-ing party’s electoral support, as recorded – just one month ago – in the elections, perhaps in response to…
Analysis by YIANNIS MAVRIS* The poll result of 7 November may prove to be a watershed in the history of elections in Greece since the restoration of democracy in 1974 and a turning point in the process of transition from the traditional two-party system of the past decades to a new type of ‘bipolarity’. The…
Analysis by YIANNIS MAVRIS* Today’s election result will provide a very clear indication, not only of the relative strength of Greece’s political parties one year after the most recent parliamentary elections and six months after the signing of the Memorandum, but also – and above all – of the extent and depth of the disintegration…
Analysis by YIANNIS MAVRIS* One year after the socialist PASOK party came to power, and six months after the adoption of the Memorandum, serious cracks have appeared in the ruling party’s electoral base and the image of George Papandreou. The monthly survey conducted by Public Issue reveals the lowest percentage of electoral support for the…
Analysis by YIANNIS MAVRIS* Cabinet reshuffles have very rarely had any significant impact on the image of and social support for governments in Greece since the restoration of democracy in 1974, especially when they do not signal a change in policy. This general rule appears to be confirmed by the recent reshuffle. The general impression…
Comparative evaluation of the government’s performance in various policy areas and its ministers Analysis by YIANNIS MAVRIS* The first three months of implementation of the measures set out in the Memorandum[1] coincides with the completion of 10 months of PASOK governance. The significant decline in government support stemming from social discontent, in an extremely short…
Findings of Public Issue’s July Barometer Analysis by YIANNIS MAVRIS* The significant social and political developments that are currently in full swing are clearly reflected in Public Issue’s July Barometer. The negative performance of the ruling party and the prime minister has heightened uncertainty about political developments, but also about the endurance of the present…
Analysis by YIANNIS MAVRIS* The present crisis of trust in governance could be described as structural. Moreover, it attests to a crisis of representation that is unprecedented since the restoration of democracy in Greece in 1974. Half of society (52%) either never (or almost never) trust governments in Greece, while 4 in 10 (40%) do…
Analysis by YIANNIS MAVRIS* Before the introduction of the single currency, Greece had one of the highest percentages of social support for the euro (72%, Eurobarometer data). This figure was not only higher than the average for EU-15 (59%) but also higher than the average for the Eurozone countries (66%). Between 1993, when Eurobarometer began…
The political impacts of the Government-IMF-EU agreement Analysis by YIANNIS MAVRIS* The dynamics of the new period for the political scene in Greece following the coming of the IMF are manifested in three directions (in order of importance): First, by the great surge in voters’ intentions to abstain and exit the electorate. Second, by the…