Saturday, October 14, 2006

Local Elections

Athens is electing mayor tomorrow, so every square is full of kiosks which call to vote for one or for the other. It's early in the morning so the only people in Syntagma (Constitution) square are some Asian tourists and me :-)

This guy here tries to find his way on the map while the three candidates for the prefect position (two of them are journalists) are smiling at him. Of course, he couldn't care less.

All over Greece, this Sunday people are voting for mayor and prefect. Most of them they couldn't care less too. The central government (i.e. the prime minister) holds most of the power and the municipalities' only job is to organize concerts and collect the garbage.

However, the mayor position is considered the first major step for a politician who wants to end up in the Parliament or the government. Athens' last two mayors are today ministers for Foreign Afairs and Health.

In Paris, things are even better. Almost every mayor ends up President. Am I right, Eric?? :-)

5 comments:

Irredento Urbanita said...

I hope that in your country politicians are more honest than ours.

Greetings

selana18 said...

Hi Ovelikios!
I haven't vote yet and I don't know if I will vote...because I am mad.I believe that the majority of our politicians are not honnest persons.And I am mad about the fact that all the politicians promote their consideration about the nature and from the other hand I have received this period more than one tone of advertising brochures and letters with the rationale to vote them!

Nice photos and article about the elections.

Kris said...

" the municipalities' only job is to organize concerts and collect the garbage. " - you got a point!!!

Ovelikios said...

Irredento, they are, but a little. :-)

Selana, I almost cry every day when I see how mush paper they waste and how much garbage they make.

Kris, maybe I should say "cheap concerts". That would make the point more precise.

Sally said...

I've heard rave reviews about the current mayor of Paris. May you be so lucky !!