As has often been the case before, the country finds itself in a preelection period, despite it not having been officially proclaimed as such. How and when it happened cannot be determined with any certainty. Some attribute it to leaks from the prime minister’s office and several ministers. Others believe it to be an initiative by the prime minister himself to put a stop to complaints within his party, to frighten its MPs, ministers and other players, and to prevent any nasty surprises. Another scenario making the rounds is that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is, in fact, thinking about calling snap elections for late September, but will ultimately see out his four-year term because his character will prevent him from doing otherwise.
No matter which scenario is true, we’re in trouble because everyone is already acting on the assumption that elections are just a few months away. What does this mean in practice? That New Democracy’s MPs and top officials will be pushing for more handouts and subsidies. They may even push for a 13th pension and for certain tax evasion measures to be rolled back. Deputy Finance Minister Thanos Petralias is trying to put a stop to such demands, but he can only do so much.
