View source for 1979 Piraean national plebiscite

{{Infobox referendum
| name = 1979 Piraean national plebiscite
| date = {{start date|1979|07|05|df=y}}
| country = Second Piraean Republic
| title = Continuation of <br>[[Ioannis Christodoulopoulos]]<br>and the rest of the Junta<!---This section should include an exact text of the question as it appears on the ballot, like in every other article that uses this template.--->
| yes = 2336996
| no = 2993490
| total = 7008513
| electorate = 
| map = 1979_Piraean_ Plebiscite_regions_map.png
| mapdivision = Regions
| notes = 
}}
The '''1979 Piraean national plebiscite''' ({{wp|Greek language|Piraean}}: ''1979 Εθνικό δημοψήφισμα της Πειραεάς'') was a {{wp|referendum}} conducted in [[Second Piraean Republic|Piraea]] during July 1979, in which the electorate was asked about the continuation of [[Ioannis Christodoulopoulos]] and the {{wp|military junta}} as {{wp|Head of State}} and {{wp|Government}}.

The referendum was conducted a year after the death of [[Konstantinos Athanopoulos]], who ruled the [[Second Piraean Republic]] as a military dictatorship. That same year, the members of the military junta voted Ioannis Christodoulopoulos, who occupied the role of Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force, to be the Premier and sought to renew their term in power through the plebiscite. If the population approved the candidate of the junta and voted "Yes", the military institution would continue exercising as the executive, but if the result proved negative, a newly elected office and legislature would have been needed to be voted. Finally, the "No" to the candidate of the junta won by a 56% of the vote, igniting a process known as "Metapolitefsi" ({{wp|Greek language|Piraean}}: ''Μεταπολίτευση'') or "regime change", which concluded with the [[1980 Piraean general elections|general elections of 1980]].

It is believed that international pressure from other [[Euclea]]n nations and Piraean big business were crucial in the decision of the junta of respecting the results, as Piraea was one of the few remaining dictatorships of East Euclea.
==Background==
During the mid-1960s and 1970s, Piraea experienced an {{wp|economic miracle}} often credited to the program of economic liberalisation carried out by the military government following [[Global Institute for Fiscal Affairs]] and [[International Council for Democracy ]] advice and funding. Although the reforms proved efficient in Piraea's exit from recession, dissident voices became more prominent criticising persistent {{wp|political censorship}} and {{wp|repression}} as well as a growing {{wp|income inequalities}}. Towards the end of the decade, political demonstration from {{wp|leftist}} groups (often in clandestine) became more usual, and the Piraean exile reconducted international observation to their cause. 

In 1978, [[Konstantinos Athanopoulos]], who ruled the [[Second Piraean Republic]] as a military dictator of [[National Functionalism|Functionalist]] background, died in his palace of [[Alikianos]]. Athanopoulos had previously ordered that the {{wp|Commander-in-Chief}} of the Air Force, [[Ioannis Christodoulopoulos]], would succeed him in the position of Premier in the Junta. The military executive invested Christodoulopoulos as Premier, but sought to acquire the legitimacy of the people's vote in order to confirm the continuity of the military rule.   
===Electorate===
{{multiple image|perrow=2|total_width=350 
| image1 = Nai 1979.png
| image2 = Oxi 1979.png
| footer = Logos used by the two options during the campaign. 
}}
The electorate for the plebiscite has been severely studied by Piraean sociologists and political analysts. The plebiscite is believed to have inaugurated an important mark in the country's politics and electoral history, with similar results by region and municipality across the elections. The electoral process was the first to be conducted after 30 years of severe political and social repression: it was also one of the first elections in which the vote of the women was specially sought after and counted with an important influence in the final results. 

Options that aligned under the campaign of the ''"Yes"'' (''Ναι'') were often connected to the {{wp|upper}} and {{wp|upper-middle}} classes, generally linked with the military government or the business world (the campaign used the economic stability and secureness as one of its slogans) and students' and youth groups of {{wp|far-right}} background. Although the [[Episemialist Church]] did not expressed opinion, it is widely known that priests and patriarchs of the [[Metropolitanate of Piraea]] showed a preferable option for the continuity of the military junta. In the vote of the ''"No"'' (''Όχι''), groups close to the {{wp|left}} and {{wp|centre-left}} participated in the campaign which targeted an electorate of all social classes and education levels. However, most of them often came from relatives of kidnapped citizens, exiled people and the general population looking for a democratic change.

The femenine vote was considered crucial in both options. On the pro-junta sector, the [[Second Piraean Republic|Women Movement for Piraea]], a social movement of wives and Piraese women of upper class-background and conservative ideology, called for the feminine vote for Christodoulopoulos arguing the "protection of the family, the values and our sons". The opposition counted with the support of most active {{wp|feminist}} movements, but was crucial in transmitting the voice of mothers and spouses that were leading the investigation of their sons, daughters and husbands that were forcibly disappeared.  

==Plebiscite==
{{quote|
Subject to the ratification of the citizenship, the Executive Military Junta proposes the General of the Air Ioannis Christodoulopoulos for a term of 8 years as Premier of the Piraean Republic. 
|author=|title=|source=}}
[[File:Aankomst Andreas Papandreou op CS te Amsterdam, Bestanddeelnr 921-2793.jpg|230px|thumb|[[Andrianos Rodiales]], who later became General-Secretary of the PSEE until his death, was the face of the left and the "No" option during the campaign period.]]
The plebiscite is believed to have been planned by [[Konstantinos Athanopoulos]] long before his death in an attempt to regain the validation of the population by seeking a new "term" in front of the military junta. However, many sources from inside the executive have later acknowledged that many of the military leadership considered it unjust and greatly personalist. Due to this, the plebiscite was never confirmed by Athanopoulos; but the death of the general in 1978 changed the junta's considerations, which feared a crack in the political censorship fueled by the idea that the dictator was dead. 

To prevent this, the [[Air Force of Piraea|General of the Air]] [[Ioannis Christodoulopoulos]] and the members the military junta refloated the consideration of allowing a plebiscite to grant the Christodoulopoulos with a new term and the people's legitimacy. In February of 1979, the Organic Law that allowed political parties to be formed was passed and the first organisations of the {{wp|right}} —[[New Force (Piraea)|New Force]] and [[People's Party (Piraea)|People's Party]]— were enrolled in the registry. In the core of the {{wp|left}}, a debate existed of whether or not adhering to the regime imposed by the law, but ultimately, most of them concluded that it was beneficial in the given context; the first organisations that enrolled were [[Progressive Federation (Piraea)|Progressive Federation]], [[Democratic Socialism (Piraea)|Democratic Socialism]] and [[Humanist Centre (Piraea)|Humanist Centre]], with the still outlawed [[Piraese Socialist Workers Union]] playing a crucial role adhering under the PSEE-Samariá Front and PSEE-Historical labels. 

[[File:ΝΑΙ Sign 1979.jpg|230px|thumb|left|A "ΝΑΙ" sign was installed in the highest point of the city of Alikianos. ]]
For the first time in Piraea's electoral history, the television played a crucial role, with {{wp|party political broadcast}}s being granted for each option; the first spots were presented during the first days of June and each were allowed a duration of 15 minutes maximum. The campaigns in television were radically different, with the option of the "No" presenting a more emotive stance linked to happiness and democracy, and the "Yes" focusing in the fear and instability of the previous republic, with the contrast of the economic miracle and an almost {{wp|personality cult}} of Athanopoulos and Christodoulopoulos. The "No" campaign was also famous for the use of Piraean celebrities and international stars, such as {{wp|Mikis Theodorakis|Themistoklis Stavrallis}}, [[Piraea|Pia Poupou]] and others; the "Yes" used a similar concept, but with personalities linked to the sports world that expressed a patriotic sentiment. The broadcast of the "No" of the day 10 June was censored and forbidden of being broadcasted due to the fact that it was based in the testimony of an exiled student in [[Verlois]] referring to the {{wp|torture}} he suffered and the {{wp|forced disappearance}} of his colleagues; as a response, the "Yes" was also banned from broadcasting that day, granting the equal time in television.  

The campaigns concluded during 2nd of June; the "No" carried out one of the largest mass marches in Piraea towards [[Alikianos]], which mobilised people from the southernmost [[Lampi]] and the northernmost [[Samariá]] to the capital city. During the march, many people was intimidated by pro-Yes groups and paramilitary forces, causing violent clashes along the week-long march. In Alikianos, a concert was offered in one of the largest mass demonstrations of Piraea. The option for the "Yes" concluded the campaign with a mass rally in front of the Palace of the [[Piraean Senate|Piraean Court]]. 
*''"Yes"'' (''Ναι'')
**« Για την Ειρήνη και τη Σταθερότητα: Συνέχεια »
**"For the Peace and Stability: Continuity"
**[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2QYZor1b1Y&ab_channel=Madonna Jingle used by the "Yes" option. ]
*''"No"'' (''Όχι'')
**« Πειραιάς: Η ευτυχία έρχεται »
**"Piraea: Happiness is Coming"
**[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6qjdkTs_SM&ab_channel=MadonnaTours Jingle used by the "No" option. ]
{| class="wikitable" style="line-height:1.35em; font-size:95%; text-align:left;"
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="1"|  Option
! rowspan="1"| Parties and<br/>alliances
! colspan="2" rowspan="1"| Candidate<br><small>or leading face</small>
! colspan="1"| {{abbr|Gov.|Government support}}
|-
| width="1" bgcolor="#2061A2"|
| align="center"| [[File:Nai 1979.png|70px]]
| {{Collapsible list
| title = List
| bullets = on
| [[People's Party (Piraea)|People's Party]] (LK)
| [[Centre Union (Piraea)|Centre Union]] (EK)
| [[Novalian People's Party]] (NNS/NLK)
| [[New Force (Piraea)|New Force]]
| [[Second Piraean Republic|National Alliance]]
| [[Second Piraean Republic|National Party]]
| [[Second Piraean Republic|Movement of Unity Social Episemialist]]
| [[Second Piraean Republic|Women Movement for Piraea]]
| [[Second Piraean Republic|Athanopoulos Front]]
}}
| [[File:Nikolaos Makarezos.jpg|center|50px]]
| Ioannis Christodoulopoulos 
| {{tick|15}}
|-
| width="1" bgcolor="#EF1C27"|
| align="center"| [[File:Oxi 1979.png|70px]]
| {{Collapsible list
| title = List
| bullets = on
| [[Piraese Socialist Workers Union]] (PSEE)
| [[Humanist Centre (Piraea)|Humanist Centre]] (AK)
| [[Progressive Federation (Piraea)|Progressive Federation]] (PO)
| [[Democratic Socialism (Piraea)|Democratic Socialism]] (DS)
| [[Piraese Section of the Workers' International]] (PTED)
| [[Federation of University Students (Piraea)|Federation of University Students]]
| [[General Confederation of Piraese Workers]] (GSEP)
| [[Workers' Fund and Solidarity]]
}}
| [[File:Persconferentie van Andreas Papandreaou in Poort van Cleve te Amsterdam, Bestanddeelnr 921-2801.jpg|center|50px]]
| Andrianos Rodiales {{efn|The "No" option was not allowed a candidate in the plebiscite, and thus [[Andrianos Rodiales]] is generally considered the face that led most of the public appearences during the campaign and also the two debates/interviews.}}
| [[File:X_mark.svg|15px]]
|-
|}
===Televised debates and interviews===
One televised debate was allowed by the military junta, with the condition that the representative of the miltiary executive was not going to be [[Ioannis Christodoulopoulos]]; in his place, [[Nicolaos Stamatiades]], who back then occupied the portfolio of Foreign Affairs as a civic member, debated against [[Andrianos Rodiales]]. In addition to being the first political debate in Piraea and the first time an opponent of the military junta was broadcasted by the public television since the start of the dictatorship, the debate was also a rating hit and it was predicted that 87.3% of the population followed it in some way. 

Two interviews were also granted to the [[Piraean Radio and Television]], one with Rodiales and a second and last one with Christodoulopoulos. 
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:98%; text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan="6"| 1979 Piraean national plebiscite debates and interviews
|-
!style="white-space:nowrap;" rowspan="3"| {{small|Date}}|| rowspan="3"| {{small|Broadcaster}} || rowspan="3"| {{small|Moderator(s)}} ||scope="col" colspan="2"| {{small|Participants&nbsp;—&nbsp;}} {{Colors|black|#90ff90|&nbsp;Name&nbsp;}} {{small|Participant &nbsp;}} {{Colors|black|#ff9090|&nbsp;N&nbsp;}} {{small|Party not invited/did not participate&nbsp;}} {{Colors|black|#A2B2C2|&nbsp;NI&nbsp;}} {{smaller|Not invited&nbsp;}} || rowspan="3"| {{small|Notes}}
|-
! scope="col" style="width:5em;"|''"Yes"'' (''Ναι'')
! scope="col" style="width:5em;"|''"No"'' (''Όχι'')
|-
! style="background:#2061A2;"|
! style="background:#EF1C27;"|
|-
| style="white-space:nowrap; text-align:left;"| {{small|5 June 1979}}
| style="white-space:nowrap; text-align:left;"| {{small|[[Piraean Radio and Television|ΠΡΤ 1]]}}
| style="white-space:nowrap; text-align:left;"| {{small|Chirstoforos Contou}}
|{{Yes|'''{{small|Nicolaos Stamatides}}'''}} 
|{{Yes|'''{{small|Andrianos Rodiales}}'''}}
|{{efn|Because [[Ioannis Christodoulopoulos]] refused to present to the debate, the civic member of the military executive, [[Nicolaos Stamatiades]], was the face of the military junta during the debate.}}
|-
| style="white-space:nowrap; text-align:left;"| {{small|19 June 1979}}
| style="white-space:nowrap; text-align:left;"| {{small|[[Piraean Radio and Television|ΠΡΤ 1]]}}
| style="white-space:nowrap; text-align:left;"| {{small|Chirstoforos Contou}}
|style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''  
|{{Yes|'''{{small|Andrianos Rodiales}}'''}}
|
|-
| style="white-space:nowrap; text-align:left;"| {{small|23 June 1979}}
| style="white-space:nowrap; text-align:left;"| {{small|[[Piraean Radio and Television|ΠΡΤ 1]]}}
| style="white-space:nowrap; text-align:left;"| {{small|Chirstoforos Contou}}
|{{Yes|'''{{small|Ioannis Christodoulopoulos}}'''}}
|style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''  
|
|-
|}

===Opinion polls===
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%; line-height:16px;"
|- style="height:42px; background-color:#E9E9E9"
! style="width:250px;" rowspan="2"| Polling firm/Commissioner
! style="width:125px;" rowspan="2"| Fieldwork date
! style="width:50px;" rowspan="2"| Sample size
! style="width:43px;"| [[File:Nai_1979.png|35px]]
! style="width:35px;"| [[File:Oxi_1979.png|30px]]
! style="width:30px;" rowspan="2"| Lead
|-
! style="background:#2061A2;"|
! style="background:#EF1C27;"|
|-
| Metricas/I Naftemporiki 
| 4 July
| 5000
| 44	
! style="background:#FFCFBF;"|56
! style="background:#EF1C27;"| 12
|-
| Metricas/I Naftemporiki 
| 1 July
| 5000
| 46	
! style="background:#FFCFBF;"|54
! style="background:#EF1C27;"| 8
|-
| Metricas/I Naftemporiki 
| 27 June
| 5000
| 48	
! style="background:#FFCFBF;"|52
! style="background:#EF1C27;"| 4
|-
| CIS/University of Alikianos 
| 27 June
| 2500
| 43	
! style="background:#FFCFBF;"|57
! style="background:#EF1C27;"| 14
|-
| CIS/University of Alikianos 
| 17 June
| 2500
| 47.1	
! style="background:#FFCFBF;"|52.9
! style="background:#EF1C27;"| 5.8
|-
| Euclea Observatory 
| 16 June
| 2500
| 47.5	
! style="background:#FFCFBF;"|52.5
! style="background:#EF1C27;"| 5
|-
| Metricas/I Naftemporiki 
| 13 June
| 2500
| 48	
! style="background:#FFCFBF;"|52
! style="background:#EF1C27;"| 4
|-
| CIS/University of Alikianos 
| 13 June
| 5000
| 48.3	
! style="background:#FFCFBF;"|51.7
! style="background:#EF1C27;"| 3.4
|-
| CIS/University of Alikianos 
| 5 June
| 4300
| 43.2	
! style="background:#FFCFBF;"|56.8
! style="background:#EF1C27;"| 13.6
|-
| CIS/Ministry of Interior and Information 
| 5 June
| 2500
| 49
! style="background:#FFCFBF;"|51
! style="background:#EF1C27;"| 2
|-
| Metricas/I Naftemporiki 
| 1 June
| 3000
! style="background:#C2E2F8;"|50
! style="background:#FFCFBF;"|50
! style="background:#EF1C27;"| 0
|-
| Metricas/I Naftemporiki 
| 28 May
| 3000
! style="background:#C2E2F8;"|51.4
|48.6
! style="background:#2061A2;"| 2.8
|-
| Computos/O Kosmos 
| 20 May
| 3000
| 49.1
! style="background:#FFCFBF;"|50.9
! style="background:#EF1C27;"| 1.8
|-
| CIS/Ministry of Interior and Information 
| 20 May
| 1200
! style="background:#C2E2F8;"|50.4
|49.6
! style="background:#2061A2;"| 0.8
|-
| Euclea Observatory 
| 12 May
| 1200
| 48.4
! style="background:#FFCFBF;"|51.6
! style="background:#EF1C27;"| 3.2
|-
|}

==Results==
{{Election results
|image=
|firstround=Option
|secondround=
|party1=''"Yes"'' (''Ναι'')|color1=#2061A2|votes1=2336996|seats1=
|party2=''"No"'' (''Όχι'')<br><small>[[File:X_mark.svg|10px]] ''Proposal rejected''</small>|color2=#EF1C27|votes2=2993490|seats2=
|invalid=1678027
|electorate=7151089
|invalid2=
|electorate242308455
|source= [[Second Piraean Republic|Ministry of Interior and Information]]
}}

==Aftermath==
{{see also|1980 Piraean general election}}
[[File:ToledoElecciones15Jun77.jpg|230px|thumb|The [[1980 Piraean general election|1980 general election]] became the first general election of Piraea since 1943, marking the return of democracy.]]
During the night of the 5th of June, the results showed the evident defeat of the military junta, with a record turnout and a contundent option for the "No". Ioannis Christodoulopoulos had planned an {{wp|auto-coup}} in the case this happened, and proposed it to the others members of the junta and the captain of the National Police. However, these refused —the capitan of the National Police later acknowledged that he was ordered to release the barriers in the city of Alikianos, in order to produce violent clashes and justify the military intervention— and Nicolaos Stamatides became the first member of the executive to announce the results by 12:30 a.m. 

During the night, it is also known that several businesspersons joined [[Anastas Palace]] or called Christodoulopoulos to advise him of the consequences of not acknowledging the results. The ambassadors of _ and _ were also influential in the decision of the junta of respecting the people's will. The week after the plebiscite, the military junta started talks with the leaders of the main political parties to settle the conditions of the 1980 general elections. 

[[Andrianos Rodiales]] (PSEE) and [[Ioannis Apostolou]] ([[People's Party (Piraea)|LK]]) accepted the conditions on the behalf of the legalisation of the {{wp|centrre-left}} and the complete disassociation of the military leadership from the elected government, granting the subsequent legalisations of the [[General Confederation of Piraese Workers|GSEP]] and the [[Piraese Section of the Workers' International|PTED]] among some. 
[[Category:Piraea]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}