Greece and the European Parliament elections 2004

EUOBSERVER / EP-elections 2004 - The upcoming European parliament (EP) elections on June 10-13 are especially significant for Greece this year due to a number of internal and external factors.

The EU's enlargement on 1 May means that smaller countries like Greece will have to shout louder to make themselves heard over the growing din within the European Parliament.

Greece's representation within the European Parliament is set to be reduced from 25 members to 24 this year due to enlargement. Up until now, the two main political parties, the socialist party Pasok and the centre-right New Democracy, had an equal share of nine seats apiece, while the smaller parties shared seven seats between them (all part of the GUE/NGL group in the European Parliament).

As it seems clear that one of the two main parties will lose the seat, both parties are now grappling to gain that crucial one seat majority over the other.

Soon after the national elections which saw the conservatives sweep the socialists away by 6 percentage points, the tide still seems to be in New Democracy's favour. Even if the conservative's advantage were to be cut by half and fall to three percent, it will still be set to gain that extra place within the European Parliament.

The system in Greece is that the electorate votes for a party rather than individual members for the European Parliament and are chosen on the basis of a numbered list - with the favourite candidates featuring on top of the list.

With defeat in national elections still fresh, the socialists have promised a wholesale change of government posts as well as major changes to MEP posts. It has kept its cards close to its chest for the moment and has not yet outlined the new candidates for its list, which is set to be published in May.

Likely to top the list however, are Giorgos Katiforis and Dimitris Tsatsos - both of whom were members of the body that drew up the European Constitution.

The conservatives looks likely to keep three current members of parliament with Ioannis Varvitsiotis displacing the current number one Antonios Trakatellis, who will however remain high in the pecking order.

Other current members likely to remain will be Mr Dimitrakopoulos who is the Vice President of parliament, and Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou who is the only Greek female MEP within the European People's Party.

A new likely candidate high up on the New Democracy list is the prodigal son, Antonis Samaras, who has now returned to the folds of his erstwhile political home having previously left to form his own party, Political Spring.

Other political parties fighting to be represented in the European Parliament are The Democratic Social Movement (DIKKI), the Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos), and the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) who would join the Verts/ALE group.

Turnout for elections is always high as voting is compulsory. The elections will take place - as all elections in Greece - on a Sunday, 13 June.