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🇬🇷 Greece /Elections & Politics

The heirs of the ballot box

From Kathimerini · () Greek

Translated from Greek and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Analysis Named sources Context piece
  • Political inheritance remains widespread in Greece, with parliamentary and government positions often passing from established politicians to their children.
  • Lawmakers interviewed in the article say family names bring electoral networks and recognition, making it difficult for newcomers without connections to enter politics.
  • They also argue that younger voters increasingly question whether political dynasties can solve their problems, even as many heirs continue to win elections.

In Greece, the monarchy may now be remembered by only a small part of the population, but hereditary succession remains firmly established in politics. Across the regions, lawmakers and ministers often hand their positions to their children either immediately or soon after leaving Parliament.

The practice extends beyond the country’s major political families. In the United States, children who follow their parents into public life are called “nepo babies.” In Greece, the expression sounds gentler: “the apple does not fall far from the tree.”

Almost half of Parliament are the offspring of a politician.

· Unnamed lawmaker from the governing partyThe lawmaker describes the extent of family succession in Greek politics.

The economic crisis destroyed the dominant two-party system of the post-dictatorship era and radically changed Greece’s political landscape. Yet political dynasties survived. The article presents this as evidence of how closed and socially stratified politics remains, and how difficult it is for someone without a name or network to enter from scratch.

It is so difficult to break through and succeed if you do not have the advantage of a name. An ordinary person without networks would hardly leave a career to enter this field. They would have to be crazy or an adventurer.

· Unnamed lawmaker from the governing partyThe lawmaker explains the barriers facing political newcomers without family connections.

“Almost half of Parliament are the offspring of a politician,” says a lawmaker from the governing party who does not come from a political family. The lawmaker says people without networks would struggle to abandon a career for politics and argues that Greece experiences the phenomenon more intensely than many other Western countries.

A PASOK lawmaker says a familiar surname can revive memories and emotional attachment to a party’s former strength. The lawmaker also acknowledges that heirs often inherit their parents’ electoral clientele. At the same time, the article notes that not every political heir is the same, and some children of politicians stand out for their political instincts despite facing suspicion because of their names.

The Greek voter has a feudal relationship with power.

· Unnamed lawmaker from the governing partyThe lawmaker compares the relationship between voters and political authority.

The lawmakers warn that clientelism damages both parties and the political system. But they also say time reveals each successor’s abilities, while younger generations increasingly question whether family-based politics can offer solutions to their problems.

Anything that maintains the clientelist relationship is a problem.

· Unnamed PASOK lawmakerThe lawmaker criticizes the political networks inherited by successors.
About this summary

Originally published by Kathimerini in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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