Greece 2012

[Insula Dei]

If I were living in Greece right now, I'd spend more time making Molotov coktails than worrying about which of the useless parties to vote for. I imagine.

[Insula Dei]

6th of May.

[Insula Dei]

6th of May.

Wow, just like France ? That's gonna be a big night...

Hadn't thought of that yet. Yes, a very big night, though it may cost Greece the attention it deserves. (Though hopefully France isn't going to be suspenseful at all )

[Insula Dei]

What's the best English-language source for news coverage of this? (Is there like a France24 equivalent?)

I want to know also. And is there any livestreams of the elections?

ERT sometimes have subtitled broadcasts, but I'm quite sure their election coverage will be entirely in Greek. Don't know of any other possibilities.

[Insula Dei]

Wasn't DIMAR polling high enough to become PASOK's succesor as the standard bearer of the (centerish) left at one point?

[Insula Dei]

What's the last election where PASOK failed to be the largest party in all 4 Districts on Crete. 1977?

[Insula Dei]

What's the last election where PASOK failed to be the largest party in all 4 Districts on Crete. 1977?

2004, actually. Freak result in Rhethymnon (usually their weakest), above average swing to ND that year, back to PASOK next time.

Well, might happen again today. SYRIZA ahead in Chanion with 18% reporting.

[Insula Dei]

ND is actually doing a lot worse than 2009.

Hardly surprising, that.

[Insula Dei]

If a non-ND government is formed this would be a case of the largest party not participating in government, I wonder when the last time that has happened in Europe. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_parliamentary_election,_2011

Even better example might be Belgium 2010:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian_general_election,_2010

[Insula Dei]

Don't know if anyone's posted this, but the interactive map on the Guardian of election results is great: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/interactive/2012/may/06/greece-elections-results-map

I second that.

[Insula Dei]

Re: Lewis' enthusiasm for the KKE's strength on Samos:

The isle of Samos itself is actually rather disappointing for the KKE and seems to have ND as largest party right now, nearby Ikarias makes the whole into a leftwing bulwark. KKE+SYRIZA at over 60%.

[Insula Dei]

Also thank God for Patras, the Peloponisos would be absolutely horrible without that touch of pink at the top. (Nice town to waste a touristy afternoon as well)

[Insula Dei]

And what happens if these elections fail to produce a government?

New Elections.

[Insula Dei]

I was just listening to the BBC world news program that NPR has sometimes and there was someone speaking for SYRIZA. He was saying that by threating to default within the Euro  unless their demands were met they were fighting for the 99% of Europeans and that the whole European project couldn't possibly survive without Greece. When the guy saying that the people of Europe were thanking Greece for theatening to default I started yelling at my radio.

Do the Greeks really believe that they are winning friends right now?

Right now? They are, actually. Not a majority, obviously.

If anything it's Germany that's making itself lose some popularity abroad.

[Insula Dei]

Such a kind heart, our Christine. Almost too good for this fallen world.

[Insula Dei]

Those of you who think German tax payers should pay for the rest of Europe without complaining or demanding anything in return...what principle is that based on?

If you've wasted all your money you can't really expect to get more with no questions asked.

Three men are in a boat. One man falls asleep one night and the boat hits a rock. The boat now has a hole in it. One of the other men has a bucket. He asks the third man: 'Say, why do you want me to empty the boat? This is not my fault, and besides I once hurt my back rather badly while working and ever since I've had an irrational fear of physical exercise. I don't want us emptying the boat together eithe, since I don't belief in groups. Rather I feel we should make our friend drink all this water. He broke the boat; it's only right he should suffer.'

One day later the first man dies an agonizing death due to all the salty water he was made to drink. The very next day both other men drown.

Not very inspired as an analogy, I know.