Policy shift to bridge gap with Gen Z

Ruling New Democracy is launching a propulsion to win backmost support from young voters aft seeing record-low support among radical ages 18 to 30.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis repeatedly emphasized youth during his speech and property league astatine the Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) earlier this month, unveiling tax cuts targeting young workers. “In politics, you don’t wantonness the κοινωνικά groups with which you person problems; connected the contrary, you fight,” a authorities source said.

Polling shows the party’s youth support has plummeted. In 2019, New Democracy won 30% among voters ages 18-30, astir 10 points little than its wide result. In 2023, it fell to 27%, contempt a nationalist summation to 41%. A caller canvass enactment the party’s youth support beneath 15%, a “black hole” for the government.

The program focuses connected 260,000 young workers. About 70,000 ages 18-25 with incomes under €20,000 present look nary taxes, while 190,000 ages 25-30 will spot their tax complaint driblet to 9% from 22%, down from 29% successful 2019. Officials anticipation persuading adjacent fractional this radical could rise the party’s nationalist stock by two points.

Greece has astir 1.4 cardinal citizens betwixt 18 and 30, galore of whom abstain from elections. Cultural gaps and skepticism remain, but aboriginal information suggests a slight rebound: Party consolidation roseate from 44% to 51% aft the fair. The inaugural besides reflects demographic concerns. Mitsotakis views colonisation diminution arsenic a “huge threat” and aims to awesome that the authorities prioritizes the adjacent procreation arsenic well arsenic retirees.

“This year’s attack is inverted,” said a authorities official. “For the archetypal time, youth are astatine the halfway of reform.”