Greece Abandons Proportional Representation

Extract

Following the adoption by Greece of proportional representation in the general election of November 7, 1926, that system was abandoned in the last election, held on August 19, 1928, on the ground that it failed to give the country a strong and homogenous government. The earlier operation of “P. R.” in Greece was set forth in a former number of this Review. In a total of 286 seats, in the election of 1926, the Venizelist Republican group secured 144, as against the Antivenizelist Royalist group which secured 130, there being also a unit of nine Communists and three Agrarians elected to that Chamber. In view of the impossibility of either of the major groups forming a cabinet with the strong support of the Chamber, a coalition ministry was resorted to, and it worked with marked success so long as a compromise program was followed. This cabinet, under the leadership of the veteran statesman, Dr. Alexander Zaimis, himself not a deputy, was supported in the Chamber by the 106 votes of the Liberal Union, the 18 of the Republican Union, the 63 of the Popular Royalists, and the 54 of the Free Opinion Moderate Royalist party, thus having a total support of 241 votes, against 45 disunited and leaderless opponents. This coalition was able to heal the serious breach that had split the Hellenic nation since 1915 over the question of Greek participation in the World War or absolute neutrality. The ministry was, furthermore, instrumental in bringing some order into the chaotic finances of the country.