What does the success of the FEP Party foreshadow?
The 2024 European Parliament elections revealed the success of the FEP Party throughout Greece. With the opening of almost all of the ballot boxes, the turnout rate was determined as 40%. Despite the decrease compared to the 58% turnout rate in 2019, the success of the FEP Party is noteworthy.
As in many other countries in the European Union, the New Democracy Party won an overwhelming majority in Greece, although its share of the vote remained low at 27 per cent. The ND, which coloured almost the entire map blue, lost the first place to other parties in Heraklion and Lasithi on the island of Crete and Komotini and Xanthi in Western Thrace. While PASOK came to the forefront in Crete, the FEP Party took the lead in Western Thrace.
The vote rate of the FEP Party in both provinces was similar to the results of 2019. In Xanthi, FEP increased its vote rate to 27%, leaving behind the 25% rate in 2019. In Komotini, on the other hand, its vote rate decreased from 38% in 2019 to 36%. However, the most remarkable success of DEB was that it received votes from every province in Greece. This shows that the party has achieved a significant success throughout the country.
The 3 per cent electoral threshold in Greece had been preventing Western Thrace Turks from entering the parliament with their own parties for years. It was frequently stated that this threshold was imposed especially for Western Thrace Turks. However, these election results reveal that Western Thrace Turks have managed to spread their voting potential throughout the country.
One of the biggest factors in the success of FEP was the nomination of Eugenia Natsoulidou, a well-known figure of the Macedonian Minority in Greece, as a candidate from FEP. The co-operation of the two minorities increased the voting rates of FEP and renewed the self-confidence of the Macedonian Minority.
This co-operation caused concern on the right. In the comments made on social media, there were calls for the closure of DEB.
This success of the FEP Party in the European Parliament elections is considered as an important turning point for the Western Thrace Turks while increasing their hopes to take part in the parliament in the future.
