EUROZONE-GREECE/ELECTION-DEBATE REAX Final Greek election debate fails to inspire voters

Record ID: 141121

  • Title: EUROZONE-GREECE/ELECTION-DEBATE REAX Final Greek election debate fails to inspire voters
  • Date: 15th September 2015
  • Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (SEPTEMBER 15, 2015) (REUTERS) PEOPLE WALKING IN SYNTAGMA SQUARE/ PARLIAMENT IN BACKGROUND PARLIAMENT WITH GREEK FLAG VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING IN AND AROUND SQUARE (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) LAWYER, DIONYSIS VRETTOS, AGED 67, SAYING: "No conclusive answers were given to most of the issues which concern people right now. Certainly, the leaders' positions were in agreement with their respective programmes. But I don't think (the debate) influenced undecided voters." (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) PENSIONER, GEORGE, AGED 61, SAYING: "I don't think it was such a great debate. The leaders didn't show their true colours. They were each repeating each other's words. So, (whoever is elected) it will be the same." (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) PENSIONER, EFI, AGED 63, SAYING: "The debate was somewhat interesting but also colourless. I don't think people will be able to get much out of it, because it is difficult to see a change. I don't think either of them can help things improve in Greece." (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) RESIDENT OF ATHENS, VALENTINA MELINITSOU, AGED 36, SAYING: "They were constantly referring to the past: 'You did this, you did that.' They didn't really say what they will do in the future." MAN LOOKING AT NEWSPAPERS HANGING FROM STAND ETHNOS NEWSPAPER FRONT PAGE READING (Greek): "OPERATION: POLARISATION/ LIVELY LEADERS' DEBATE" ELDERLY WOMAN LOOKING AT NEWSPAPERS HANGING FROM STAND NEWSPAPERS HANGING FROM STAND TA NEA NEWSPAPER FRONT PAGE READING (Greek): "POLARISATION WON/ A TWO-HOUR DEBATE WITHOUT ANY POINTS OF CONVERGENCE" NEWSPAPERS HANGING FROM STAND
  • Embargoed: 30th September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVADMJALVDK31WH73NU8QMGYU4VT
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The two main opponents in the Greek elections remained neck-and-neck in opinion polls ahead of the national ballot on Sunday (September 20), with Greek voters saying on Tuesday (September 15) that the final pre-election debate left them uninspired.
    In the final televised debate on Monday night (September 14), leftist Syriza party leader Alexis Tsipras and his conservative rival, New Democracy leader, Vangelis Meimarakis said they would broadly honour the country's bailout commitments while fighting to cushion their impact.
    Meimarakis said Syriza was welcome to join his New Democracy party in an alliance, as Greeks sought the stability that would come if both parties worked together. But he ruled out sharing power with Tspiras.
    Former Prime Minister Tsipras said a coalition with the conservatives would be unnatural, echoing comments he made in an interview on Sunday (September 13).
    Prior to the debate, the managing director of Alco pollsters told Greek state television that he didn't think the debate would be instrumental in determining election results.
    Afterwards, Greek voters appeared to agree, with several saying it had failed to inspire them, and would not affect their voting decision.
    "No conclusive answers were given to most of the issues which concern people right now. Certainly, the leaders' positions were in agreement with their respective programmes. But I don't think (the debate) influenced undecided voters," said Dionysis Vrettos, a 67-old lawyer from Athens.
    George, a 61-year-old pensioner, said that Tsipras and Meimarakis appeared too alike.
    "I don't think it was such a great debate. The leaders didn't show their true colours. They were each repeating each other's words. So, (whoever is elected) it will be the same," he said.
    Valentina Melinitsou, a 36-year-old resident of Athens, said the leaders were more interested in blaming each other.
    "They were constantly referring to the past: 'You did this, you did that.' They didn't really say what they will do in the future," Valentina said.
    Newspaper "Ta Nea" suggested in its front page that "Polarisation won," saying that in the two-hour debate leaders failed to converge upon any major issues.
    A Metron Analysis poll for ANT1 TV hours published before the debate began put the parties level at 31.6 percent - well short of the 36.3 percent that took Syriza into office in late January two seats shy of a majority.
    The survey included the preference of undecided voters who, along with those intending to abstain, comprise up to a fifth of the electorate, according to some polls.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register