Greek legislative election, 1964
Encyclopedia
The Greek legislative election of the 19 February 1964 resulted in a clear victory for Georgios Papandreou and his Center Union
party.
Georgios Papandreou had formed an interim government just after the legislative elections of 1963
, in order to carry out new elections, because no party had the absolute majority in the Parliament
. The Greek people voted for a strong and robust government, offering the Center Union
a landslide victory.
On the other hand, the National Radical Union
was too weak, after Constantine Karamanlis
fled to Paris
. The new party leader, Panagiotis Kanellopoulos
formed an alliance with the Progressive Party of Spyros Markezinis, an alliance, which offered no gains to the right-wing parataxis
. A year before such an alliance could have been more successful.
Another reason for the landslide victory of the Center Union
was the indirect support for the centrists by the United Democrativ Left (ΕΔΑ)
, which turned intentionally a part of its electorate towards the Center Union
. It was the antipathy towards the conservatives that brought the two parties of the center-left closer.
, namely a fierceful confrontation with King Constantine II
, caused its fall and the appointment of a series of weak governments, comprising centrist defectors and supported by the National Radical Union
and King Constantine II
.
The elections of 1964 were the last before the enforcement of a military dictatorship
, which exploited the endless political unrest.
The elections of 1967 never took place.
Center Union
The Centre Union was a Greek political party, created in 1961 by George Papandreou, senior.The party was elected to power in 1963, with Papandreou as Prime Minister...
party.
Georgios Papandreou had formed an interim government just after the legislative elections of 1963
Greek legislative election, 1963
The Greek legislative election of the 3 November 1963 resulted in a narrow victory for the Center Union of Georgios Papandreou after three consecutive victories of Constantine Karamanlis and his National Radical Union party and after 11 years, during which the conservative parties ruled...
, in order to carry out new elections, because no party had the absolute majority in the Parliament
Hellenic Parliament
The Hellenic Parliament , also the Parliament of the Hellenes, is the Parliament of Greece, located in the Parliament House , overlooking Syntagma Square in Athens, Greece....
. The Greek people voted for a strong and robust government, offering the Center Union
Center Union
The Centre Union was a Greek political party, created in 1961 by George Papandreou, senior.The party was elected to power in 1963, with Papandreou as Prime Minister...
a landslide victory.
On the other hand, the National Radical Union
National Radical Union
The National Radical Union was a Greek political party formed in 1955 by Konstantinos Karamanlis out of the Greek Rally party....
was too weak, after Constantine Karamanlis
Constantine Karamanlis
Konstantínos G. Karamanlís , commonly anglicised to Constantine Karamanlis or Caramanlis, was a four-time Prime Minister, the 3rd and 5th President of the Third Hellenic Republic and a towering figure of Greek politics whose political career spanned much of the latter half of the 20th century.-...
fled to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. The new party leader, Panagiotis Kanellopoulos
Panagiotis Kanellopoulos
Panagiotis Kanellopoulos or Panayotis Kanellopoulos was a distinguished Greek politician and Prime Minister of Greece. He was the Prime Minister of Greece deposed by the Greek military junta of 1967-1974....
formed an alliance with the Progressive Party of Spyros Markezinis, an alliance, which offered no gains to the right-wing parataxis
Parataxis (politics)
Parataxis is a term used in the Politics of Greece to refer to a political family or partisan camp grouped around a certain major idea...
. A year before such an alliance could have been more successful.
Another reason for the landslide victory of the Center Union
Center Union
The Centre Union was a Greek political party, created in 1961 by George Papandreou, senior.The party was elected to power in 1963, with Papandreou as Prime Minister...
was the indirect support for the centrists by the United Democrativ Left (ΕΔΑ)
United Democratic Left
The United Democratic Left was a political party in Greece, active mostly before the Greek military junta of 1967-1974.-Foundation:...
, which turned intentionally a part of its electorate towards the Center Union
Center Union
The Centre Union was a Greek political party, created in 1961 by George Papandreou, senior.The party was elected to power in 1963, with Papandreou as Prime Minister...
. It was the antipathy towards the conservatives that brought the two parties of the center-left closer.
Post-election
Just after the elections, Georgios Papandreou formed his first solid government, which would last till 1965, when a new political turmoil, the so-called "apostasia" ("defection")Apostasia of 1965
The terms Apostasia or Iouliana or the Royal Coup are used to describe the political crisis in Greece that centred around the resignation, on 15 July 1965, of Prime Minister Georgios Papandreou and the appointment, by King Constantine II, of successive Prime Ministers from Papandreou's own...
, namely a fierceful confrontation with King Constantine II
Constantine II of Greece
|align=right|Constantine II was King of Greece from 1964 until the abolition of the monarchy in 1973, the sixth and last monarch of the Greek Royal Family....
, caused its fall and the appointment of a series of weak governments, comprising centrist defectors and supported by the National Radical Union
National Radical Union
The National Radical Union was a Greek political party formed in 1955 by Konstantinos Karamanlis out of the Greek Rally party....
and King Constantine II
Constantine II of Greece
|align=right|Constantine II was King of Greece from 1964 until the abolition of the monarchy in 1973, the sixth and last monarch of the Greek Royal Family....
.
The elections of 1964 were the last before the enforcement of a military dictatorship
Greek military junta of 1967-1974
The Greek military junta of 1967–1974, alternatively "The Regime of the Colonels" , or in Greece "The Junta", and "The Seven Years" are terms used to refer to a series of right-wing military governments that ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974...
, which exploited the endless political unrest.
The elections of 1967 never took place.