2023 Crete regional election explained

Type:parliamentary
Previous Election:2019 Crete regional election
Previous Year:2019
Next Election:2028 Crete regional election
Next Year:2028
Seats For Election:All 45 seats to the Regional Council of Crete
Election Date:8 October 2023
Turnout:59.11%
Image1:CoR Members portraits - Stavros ARNAOUTAKIS.jpg
Candidate1:Stavros Arnaoutakis
Party1:For our Crete
Alliance1:PASOKND
Color1:008000
Seats1:37
Seat Change1: 6
Popular Vote1:245.198
Percentage1:78.31%
Swing1: 17.49pp
Candidate2:Spyros Danellis
Party2:Our Crete Differently
Alliance2:SYRIZA
Color2:FFC0CB
Seats2:5
Seat Change2:new
Popular Vote2:34.576
Percentage2:11,04%
Swing2:new
Candidate3:Alekos Marinakis
Party3:Popular Convolution of Crete
Alliance3:Communist Party of Greece
Color3:FF0000
Seats3:3
Popular Vote3:25.720
Percentage3:8,21%
Swing3: 1.86pp
Regional Governor
Posttitle:Elected Regional Governor
Before Election:Stavros Arnaoutakis
Before Party:PASOK
After Election:Stavros Arnaoutakis
After Party:PASOK

The 2023 Cretan regional election took place on 8 October 2023, simultaneously with the rest of Greece. The election was for all 45 elected seats of the Regional Council of Crete as well as the Regional Governor.

This was the fourth Cretan regional election and the incumbent Governor (Stavros Arnaoutakis, PASOK) ran for a fourth consecutive term.

The ballot resulted in the election of Stavros Arnaoutakis, the incumbent Governor, as Regional Governor with 78% of the votes. The left-wing candidate, former SYRIZA MP Spyros Danellis, came in second with 11 percent. The KKE candidate, Alekos Marinakis, received 8 percent of the vote. The anticapitalist list failed to obtain 3% of the votes, thus losing its representation in the Council.[1]

Electoral system

According to the new electoral system introduced by the New Democracy government in 2021, the majority percentage is defined as greater than 43% plus one vote of all valid ballots, instead of 50% plus one vote. In particular, the election of the regional governor is ensured from the first round, with an election threshold of 43%. If the first list receives up to 60%, it elects 3/5 of the regional council seats, while for more than 60%, the seats of each list are distributed proportionally.[2]

Aftermath

As the "For Our Crete" list did obtain more than 43% of the votes in the first round, the second round did not take place. The new Regional Council members were sworn in on December 21, 2023. The ceremony took place in St. Marc's Basilica in Heraklion.[3] Shortly after, Stavros Arnaoutakis announced the members of his fourth regional cabinet.[4] It consisted of 11 thematic Vice Regional Governors:[5]

scope=col width=40 data-sort-type="numeric" Order scope=col width=250Officescope=col class="unsortable" Portraitscope=col NameListscope=col class="unsortable" Took officescope=col class="unsortable" Left officescope=col Regional Unit
1Regional GovernorStavros ArnaoutakisFor our Crete1 January 2024IncumbentHeraklion
2Vice Regional Governor for Climate Change and Sustainable MobilityIoannis AnastasakisFor our Crete1 January 2024IncumbentHeraklion
3Vice Regional Governor for EntrepreneurshipMichael VavmvoukasFor our Crete1 January 2024IncumbentRethymno
4Vice Regional Governor for Social Policy and SolidarityStylianos VoryiasFor our Crete1 January 2024IncumbentHeraklion
5Vice Regional Governor for TourismKyriakos KotsoglouFor our Crete1 January 2024IncumbentChania
6Vice Regional Governor for Interconnection with Research and Academic FoundationsGeorgios MatalliotakisFor our Crete1 January 2024IncumbentHeraklion
7Vice Regional Governor for Culture and EqualityGeorgia MilakiFor our Crete1 January 2024IncumbentHeraklion
8Vice Regional Governor for EnvironmentNikolaos XylourisFor our Crete1 January 2024IncumbentHeraklion
9Vice Regional Governor for Coordination and Support of the Technical Projects DirectorateNikolaos SkoulasFor our Crete1 January 2024IncumbentHeraklion
10Vice Regional Governor for SportsLeonidas TerzisFor our Crete1 January 2024IncumbentLasithi
11Vice Regional Governor for AgricultureStavros TzedakisFor our Crete1 January 2024IncumbentHeraklion
12Vice Regional Governor for Civil ProtectionGeorgios TsapakosFor our Crete1 January 2024IncumbentChania

References

  1. Web site: 2023-10-12 . Περιφέρεια Κρήτης: Η κατανομή των εδρών ανά παράταξη . 2024-01-06 . Neakriti . el.
  2. Web site: Newsroom . 2021-05-18 . Στη Βουλή ο νέος εκλογικός νόμος για την Αυτοδιοίκηση: Καταργείται η απλή αναλογική . 2024-01-06 . Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ . greek.
  3. Web site: 2023-12-20 . Αύριο Πέμπτη η ορκωμοσία της Περιφερειακής Αρχής Κρήτης . 2024-01-06 . Neakriti . el.
  4. Web site: 2024-01-05 . Περιφέρεια Κρήτης: Αυτοί είναι οι 15 νέοι Αντιπεριφερειάρχες και οι 16 Εντεταλμένοι Σύμβουλοι - HANIA.news . 2024-01-06 . el.
  5. Web site: Κρήτη: Οι νέοι θεματικοί αντιπεριφερειάρχες και εντεταλμένοι περιφερειακοί σύμβουλοι – Οι επιλογές Αρναουτάκη . Flashnews.gr.