Local elections were held in

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...

on 18 May 2014 (first round) and 25 May 2014 (second round). Voters elected representatives to the country's

local authorities Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...

, comprising 13

regions In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

and 325

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

Background

Traditionally, candidates at local elections do not run under the official name of any party as the constitution only foresees the participation of electoral lists (or "combinations") and not parties. Despite this theoretical independence and distinction, for all practical purposes most candidates run as local front organisations for political parties.

Issues

Greece is still facing a long-term government-debt crisis, which may affect the elections.

Election results

Source
Hellenic Ministry of the Interior
In the municipalities, as well as the regions, any candidate can participate in the first round. If the leading candidate does not have an absolute majority (50%+) of the votes, then a second round is held between the two leading candidates in the first round.

Regions

Attica

Contender Rena Dourou (

SYRIZA The Coalition of the Radical Left – Progressive Alliance ( el, Συνασπισμός Ριζοσπαστικής Αριστεράς – Προοδευτική Συμμαχία, Synaspismós Rizospastikís Aristerás – Proodeftikí Simachía), ...

) defeated incumbent Ioannis Sgouros (Society of Values) in the second round and succeeded him as Regional Governor of

Attica Attica ( el, Αττική, Ancient Greek ''Attikḗ'' or , or ), or the Attic Peninsula, is a historical region that encompasses the city of Athens, the capital of Greece and its countryside. It is a peninsula projecting into the Aegean ...

Central Greece

Kostas Bakoyannis Kostas Bakoyannis ( el, Κώστας Μπακογιάννης; born 16 March 1978) is a Greek politician. Having served as mayor of the town of Karpenisi, he was popularly elected Regional governor of Central Greece in the 2014 local elections ...

( ND) defeated

Evangelos Apostolou Evangelos Apostolou ( el, Βαγγέλης Αποστόλου; born 28 May 1949 on the island of Euboea) is a Greek Syriza politician who served as the Minister of Agricultural Development and Food in the Second Cabinet of Alexis Tsipras from ...

(

) in the second round and succeeded Klearchos Pergantas (

PASOK The Panhellenic Socialist Movement ( el, Πανελλήνιο Σοσιαλιστικό Κίνημα, Panellínio Sosialistikó Kínima, ), known mostly by its acronym PASOK, (; , ) is a social-democratic political party in Greece. Until 2012, it ...

) as Regional Governor of

Central Greece Continental Greece ( el, Στερεά Ελλάδα, Stereá Elláda; formerly , ''Chérsos Ellás''), colloquially known as Roúmeli (Ρούμελη), is a traditional geographic region of Greece. In English, the area is usually called Central ...

Central Macedonia

Incumbent Apostolos Tzitzikostas (

ANEL The Independent Greeks - National Patriotic Alliance ( el, Ανεξάρτητοι Έλληνες (ΑΝΕΛ), ''Anexartitoi Ellines'', ANEL) is a national-conservative political party in Greece. The party was the junior coalition partner to the ...

/ EPAL/

LAOS Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist s ...

) defeated contender

Giannis Ioannidis Giannis Ioannidis (alternate spellings: Ioannis, Yiannis, Yannis) ( Greek: Γιάννης Ιωαννίδης; born 26 February 1945 in Thessaloniki, Greece) is a former Greek basketball player, professional basketball coach, and Greece New Democ ...

( ND) in the second round and remained Regional Governor of

Central Macedonia Central Macedonia ( el, Κεντρική Μακεδονία, Kentrikí Makedonía, ) is one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece, consisting of the central part of the geographical and historical region of Macedonia. With a populat ...

Crete

Incumbent

Stavros Arnaoutakis Stavros Arnaoutakis ( el, Σταύρος Αρναουτάκης; born 25 May 1956) is a Greek politician and former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK); part of the Party of European Socialists. ...

(

Drasi Drassi (, "Action") was a liberal political party in Greece. The party was founded in 2009 by Stefanos Manos and was led by former New Democracy member Theodoros Skylakakis. The party had no representation in the Hellenic Parliament or European P ...

) defeated contender Serafim Tsokas ( ND) in the second round and remained Regional Governor of

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, ...

Eastern Macedonia and Thrace

Giorgos Pavlidis Giorgos Pavlidis ( el, Γιώργος Παυλίδης; 1956 – 20 October 2016) was a Greek politician of Nea Dimokratia. The long-standing Prefect of Xanthi was narrowly defeated in the 2010 local election, but was elected Governor of the re ...

( ND), the former prefect of

Xanthi Xanthi ( el, Ξάνθη, ''Xánthi'', ) is a city in the region of Western Thrace, northeastern Greece. It is the capital of the Xanthi regional unit of the region of East Macedonia and Thrace. Amphitheatrically built on the foot of Rhodope m ...

, defeated incumbent Aris Giannakidis (ind.) in the second round and succeeded him as Regional Governor of

Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Eastern Macedonia and Thrace ( el, Ανατολική Μακεδονία και Θράκη, translit=Anatolikí Makedonía ke Thráki, ) is one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It consists of the northeastern parts of the coun ...

Epirus

Incumbent

Alexandros Kachrimanis Alexandros may refer to: *Alexandros, a Greek name, the origin for the English name Alexander *Alexander III of Macedon, commonly known as Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July ...

( ND) defeated contender

Olga Gerovasili Olga Gerovasili ( el, Όλγα Γεροβασίλη; born 16 January 1961) is a Greek politician who has served as a member of the Hellenic Parliament since 17 May 2012. Born in Arta, she studied radiology at the National and Kapodistrian Univers ...

(

) in the first round and remained Regional Governor of

Epirus sq, Epiri rup, Epiru , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = Historical region , image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg , map_alt = , map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinri ...

Ionian Islands

Contender Theodoros Galiatsatos (

), defeated incumbent ( ND) in the second round and succeeded him as Regional Governor of the Ionian Islands.

North Aegean

Contender

Christiana Kalogirou Christiana Kalogirou ( el, Χριστιάνα Καλογήρου; born 1964 in Athens) is a Greek economist and politician of Nea Dimokratia. Since October 2014, she has been serving as Regional Governor of the North Aegean. Biography Born 19 ...

( ND) defeated incumbent (ind.) in the second round and succeeded him as Regional Governor of the

North Aegean The North Aegean Region ( el, Περιφέρεια Βορείου Αιγαίου, translit=Periféria Voríou Eyéou, ) is one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece, and the smallest of the thirteen by population. It comprises the isl ...

Peloponnese

Incumbent

Petros Tatoulis Petros Tatoulis ( el, Πέτρος Τατούλης; born 6 March 1953 in Kastri, Arcadia) is a Greek surgeon and independent politician, currently serving as Regional Governor of the Peloponnese. A long standing Member of the Hellenic Pa ...

( ND) defeated contender Odysseas Voudouris (

) in the second round and remained Regional Governor of

Peloponnese The Peloponnese (), Peloponnesus (; el, Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnēsos,(), or Morea is a peninsula and geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmus of Corinth land bridge which ...

South Aegean

Contender Giorgos Hatzimarkos ( ND) defeated incumbent (ind.) in the second round and succeeded him as Regional Governor of the

South Aegean The South Aegean ( el, Περιφέρεια Νοτίου Αιγαίου, translit=Periféria Notíou Eyéou, ) is one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It consists of the Cyclades and Dodecanese island groups in the central and ...

Thessaly

Incumbent ( ND) defeated contender Nikos Tsilimingas (

DIMAR Democratic Left (, , DIMAR) was a social-democratic political party in Greece. Formed as a split from Synaspismós, DIMAR was a minor party supporting the Samaras cabinet from 21 June 2012 to 21 June 2013. After being a member of the Democratic ...

) in the second round and remained Regional Governor of

Thessaly Thessaly ( el, Θεσσαλία, translit=Thessalía, ; ancient Thessalian: , ) is a traditional geographic and modern administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thes ...

Western Greece

Incumbent Apostolos Katsifaras (ind.) defeated contender Andreas Katsaniotis (

Nea Dimokratia New Democracy (ND; el, Νέα Δημοκρατία, Néa Dimokratía, ) is a liberal-conservative political party in Greece. In contemporary Greek politics, New Democracy has been the main centre-right political party and one of the two major ...

) in the second round and remained Regional Governor of

Western Greece Western Greece Region ( el, Περιφέρεια Δυτικής Ελλάδας, translit=Periféria Dhitikís Elládhas, ) is one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It comprises the western part of continental Greece and the northw ...

Western Macedonia

Contender Theodoros Karypidis (ind.), defeated incumbent ( ND) in the second round and succeeded him as Regional Governor of

Western Macedonia Western Macedonia ( el, Δυτική Μακεδονία, translit=Ditikí Makedonía, ) is one of the thirteen regions of Greece, consisting of the western part of Macedonia. Located in north-western Greece, it is divided into the regional uni ...

Major municipalities

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates a ...

Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...

Nationwide percentage results

Reaction

The elections were regarded as a victory for SYRIZA, which was not expected to perform well due to its weak local organization. Candidates backed by the ruling New Democracy fared poorly, particularly Prime Minister

Antonis Samaras Antonis Samaras ( el, Αντώνης Σαμαράς, ; born 23 May 1951) is a Greek politician who served as 14th Prime Minister of Greece from 2012 to 2015. A member of the New Democracy party, he was its president from 2009 until 2015. Samaras ...

' hand-picked candidates. In Athens, New Democracy failed to make the runoff for the first time since 1975. In response the results, PM Samaras said "Greece must show it has the stability that it deserves" in the second round and European election scheduled to take place next week. Opposition leader

Alexis Tsipras Alexis Tsipras ( el, Αλέξης Τσίπρας, ; born 28 July 1974) is a Greek politician serving as Leader of the Official Opposition since 2019. He served as Prime Minister of Greece from 2015 to 2019. Tsipras has led the Coalition of th ...

said it was a "historic day", and that next Sunday would be "the first day of a new era."

Notes

References

{{Greek elections Local elections in Greece 2014 elections in Greece 2014 in Greek politics May 2014 events in Europe