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GREECE – SMALL STEP TOWARDS EQUAL POLITICAL REPRESENTATION AFTER GREEK PARLIAMENT ELECTION - WOMEN

29 January 2015 -The Greek parliament election on January 25th resulted in the victory of left-wing party Syriza with 36.8% of the votes. In his victory speech, party leader Alexis Tsipras raised the will to stop the austerity policies and negotiate a solution on the government dept issue with the EU. The election also resulted in a minor step towards gender balance in the Greek government and Parliament. However, a long way remains to equal political participation in Greece. 

Coordination of Greek Women’s NGOs for the European Women’s Lobby Summarized the Results of the Election:

“After the 25th January elections, a new government was formed in Greece. The winner is SYRIZA (left side coalition) with 36,8 % in cooperation with ANEL (right side independent Greeks) with 4,75%. The opposition is now NEA DEMOCRATIA (European popular party with 27,81 %. Eight more women are now represented in the new parliament. We have now 68 women out of 300 parliament members. Zoi Konstantopolou is now the president of the Parliament.  There also 6 women ministers in the new government instead of 4 in the previous one. Prime Minister  Alexis Tsipras, a young man, has promised to stop the austerity policies, promoting measures against unemployment and improving the social situation and infrastructures, negotiating with our European institutional partners. Martin Soulz the President of the European Parliament, is visiting Greece. A new General Secretary on Equality is going to be appointed the next days.