07/05/2012
We are
gently reminded that Greece is not Belgium, and that electoral law does not permit a situation where no government is formed. The parties have about two weeks to form a new government and, if they do not, there will be new elections, probably by the end of June.
The split
as it stands is 149 seats on the pro-bailout side (Conservatives 108+ Socialists 41 seats) while the anti-bailout side can muster 151 (Radicals 52 seats + Nationalists 33 + Communists 26 + neo-Nazis 21 + Leftists 19). An exceedingly unstable anti-bailout coalition is the best that can happen.
The turnout here, incidentally, was 65.8 percent â only marginally better than in the last UK general election. Then, the votes of 19 percent of the electorate are disallowed, as the parties they voted for do not get or exceed the three-percent threshold for acquiring a parliamentary seat.
There is also the first place bonus of 50 seats, which apparently gives New Democracy (ND) 108 seats, instead of the 58 which it should get on its straight percentage of the vote, - although
this says (or so I thought) there is a threshold requirement of 39 percent â which ND did not meet.
However, the BBC says that ND gets 108 seats and, as we all know, the BBC is never wrong. That just leaves me confused â which is quite an appropriate state, given the current situation. If I understood what was going on, then I would be even more misinformed than I already am.
Galloping to the rescue though, is one of our learned readers who tells me that the 39 percent is simply a figure (not a threshold, as such), that a lead party needs to get in order get enough seats to produce a parliamentary majority. However, the first past the post bonus of 50 seats applies, whatever percentage is gained.
COMMENT: "TALE OF TWO ELECTIONS" THREAD
