The staff of Maximou Mansion are forced to review the calculations resulting from yesterday’s first round of Presidential elections, since the estimates they made during the previous days for twenty-four independent MPs failed miserably.

It is significant that Mr. Stavros Dimas was only upvoted by five independent MPs instead of nine calculated for the first ballot by colleagues of the Prime Minister. This item removes the verification of calculations according to which in the third and final vote they can also get a total of 16 independent MPs.

Besides that, problems arise from the fact that of the five who voted for Dimas, four come from the center left (Spyros Lykoudis, Grigoris Psarianos, Katerina Markou and Christos Aidonis) and only one from the center right (Giorgos Davris), resulting for many to wonder if in recent weeks, the New Democracy party tried to approach ideologically aligned MPs and bring them over to their cause.

However, the Prime Minister’s partners consider that the result of the second vote will be quite improved and able to give the necessary momentum to Dimas’ candidacy in view of the final ballot. Indeed they clarify that the outcome on Tuesday, December 23rd, will be achieved with clear choices and no political concessions by the PM.

They estimate that the five independent MPs will be joined by others. If their predictions are confirmed, then the Presidential candidate will have the backing of 169 members of Parliament, meaning that, to achieve the 180 required for the third round of voting, at least 11 members of Parliament from DIMAR and ANEL groups will have to be voted for. The two parties have clarified collectively, that they will not vote for the president. However, many assume that the pressure exerted by polls and by the economic situation will lead to variations.