The institutional road map that defines step by step the path to the battle of the European elections on Sunday, June 9, was implemented. The first critical point of the pre-election agenda is April 24. Next Wednesday, the A1 Department of the Supreme Court will determine which parties get the ticket to the final battle.
They have submitted an application for participation to the Supreme Court a total of 46 combinationsincluding the 9 parliamentary parties (N.D., SYRIZA, PASOK, KKE, Spartans, Hellenic Solution, New Left, Victory and Freedom Sailing), well-known formations such as MeRA25 of Yanis Varoufakis, LAOS, the Union of Centers of Vassilis Leventis, ANTARSYA, but also new formations such as the Democrats of Andreas Loverdos.
The Magistrate Caius and the Spartans
The competent department of the supreme court will examine, among other things, the legality of the Spartans’ participation in light of the new evidence that has emerged about the close ties of the party’s deputies with Ilias Kasidiaris. Objections to the participation of the political formation in the June confrontation have been expressed in memos by N.D. and PASOK.
Read also: The entire memorandum of the ND to the Areopagus on the exclusion of the Spartans from the European elections
According to information, the two parties are citing the public confession of the head of the Spartans, Vassilis Stiga, about being guided by his MPs from extra-parliamentary centers that operate under the terms “Greek mafia” and “Don Corleone”. At the same time, they refer to the investigation by the prosecutor of the Supreme Court, Georgia Adelini, which recently resulted in a proposal to bring criminal charges for the crime of voter fraud against 11 members of the Parliamentary Group.
Specifically, the ND, with its 37-page memorandum and accompanying 200-page supporting documentation, requests the exclusion of the party from the electoral process, invoking the law on the “real leadership” of parties, which it claims is exercised by Ilias Kasidiariswho has been sentenced to prison for joining and directing a criminal organization.
“As it appears from the evidence, the de facto leader of the Spartan political party is Ilias Kasidiaris… The exercise of real leadership is characterized by specific acts listed in this Memorandum and prove the uniformly expressed will of Ilias Kasidiaris to exercise command in said party, to place virtual leadership but also to have the leadership role towards the electorate in the SPARTATES party” ND specifically mentions in its memorandum.
It is recalled that the reasons for canceling the participation of parties in national elections when it is established that the real leadership is exercised by those convicted of serious crimes, such as the management of a criminal organization, have also been extended for the European elections.
Under these circumstances, the judgment of the A1 Department of Supreme Court which will be issued next Wednesday is decisive for the participation of the Spartans in the European elections and a catalyst for the final decision that is expected to be issued in the next period by the electoral court on the legitimacy of the party’s presence in the national Parliament.
The hot parabola
But in addition to the investigation into the possible involvement of criminal organizations in the guise of a political party, the competent department of the supreme court will examine whether other inflexible conditions are met such as the payment of the fee of 20,000 euros, complete ballot of 42 candidates with observance of the quota in the participation of women, appeals, complaints, etc. for their proclamation and consequently for their participation in the elections.
It should be noted that some of the total 46 parties that expressed their initial interest in participating in the match proceeded to an online fundraiser in order to collect the amount of money to pay the fee. However, those who failed to pay the amount by April 19 will be removed from the final list. According to information, by late Friday afternoon, a few hours before the deadline, 30 of the 46 combinations had paid the amount.
Correspondence
The second crucial date on the road to the European elections is April 29, when the deadline for submission of applications for registration in the electoral list of postal voters. For the first time, the possibility of remote participation in the electoral process is provided for voters inside and outside the territory, while all the obstacles that made it difficult for Greeks abroad to vote from their place of permanent residence have been removed.
Until last Friday, the electronic platform had received almost 100,000 applications, with approximately 70,000 concerning voters within the territory and more than 30,000 Greeks abroad. The vast majority of applications from outside Greece come from European countries (84.6%), while almost 70% of those registered are aged 41 and over.
Electors with the right to vote by mail within or outside the territory will not go to a polling station in order to exercise their right to vote. From their home they will be able to “cross” the ballots following the detailed instructions in the package which they will receive on time, while the receipt of the sealed ballots from the services of the Ministry of the Interior will take place until Saturday, June 8 at 17.00.
Allocation of seats
It should be noted that a law passed last January introduced a new, more proportionate distribution system for the 21 seats that Greece is entitled to in the European Parliament. The parties that will exceed the 3% limit will share the seats according to the electoral measure and their exact percentages, just as it is done in the distribution of the State ballot seats in the national contests.
The simulation of the new system based on the results of the last ones opinion polls give 7-8 seats to N.D., 3-4 seats to SYRIZA, 3 seats to PASOK, 2 to KKE and Hellenic Solution and one to the other parties, while there is the possibility that a combination that will marginally exceed 3% will be left without a seat.
8+1 critical dates
24/4 Announcement of combinations and candidates by the A1 Department of the Supreme Court
25/4 Commencement of restricting candidates’ appearances on any kind of public or private radio or television broadcasts
29/4 End of submission of applications for registration in the special electoral list of postal voters
19/5 Expiration of the deadline for determining electoral divisions
24/5 Appointment of electoral commissions
31/5 The combinations deliver a sufficient number of ballots to the precincts
3/6 Appointment of tax and judicial representatives
8/6 At 5 pm the deadline for receiving postal vote return envelopes expires
9/6 The elections
Photo: EUROKINISSI
News today:
George Papadantonakis: “I’m not a hero, I’m not afraid, even if I ate knives”
Scott Disick: Frightened After Dramatic Ozempic Weight Loss, Seeks Help
Who will command the Defense? NATO’s reaction to the EU’s plans and the problem with Turkey and Cyprus
