Lihnidosi general election, 2014: Difference between revisions

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! style="width:130px;" rowspan="2"| Fieldwork date
! style="width:130px;" rowspan="2"| Fieldwork date
! style="width:175px;" rowspan="2"| Polling firm
! style="width:175px;" rowspan="2"| Polling firm
! style="width:30px;" class="unsortable"| <imgur w=25>CFnk9Tu.png</imgur><br><small>'''[[Conservative-National Alliance (Lihnidos)|CNA]]'''</small>
! style="width:30px;" class="unsortable"| [[File:CNALogo.png|25px]]<br><small>'''[[Conservative-National Alliance (Lihnidos)|CNA]]'''</small>
! style="width:30px;" class="unsortable"| <imgur w=25>wKeuczC.png</imgur><br><small>'''[[Democratic Coalition (Lihnidos)|DC]]'''</small>
! style="width:30px;" class="unsortable"| [[File:DCLogo.png|25px]]<br><small>'''[[Democratic Coalition (Lihnidos)|DC]]'''</small>
! style="width:30px;" class="unsortable"| <imgur w=25>aRejdHu.png</imgur><br><small>'''[[Coalition of Progressive Socialists (Lihnidos)|CPS]]'''</small>
! style="width:30px;" class="unsortable"| [[File:CPSLogo.png|25px]]<br><small>'''[[Coalition of Progressive Socialists (Lihnidos)|CPS]]'''</small>
! style="width:30px;" class="unsortable"| <imgur w=25>ecE3oWo.png</imgur><br><small>'''[[Centrist Union (Lihnidos)|CU]]'''</small>
! style="width:30px;" class="unsortable"| [[File:CULogo.png|25px]]<br><small>'''[[Centrist Union (Lihnidos)|CU]]'''</small>
! style="width:30px;" class="unsortable"| <imgur w=25>uLWDauV.png</imgur><br><small>'''[[Republican Party (Lihnidos)|RP]]'''</small>
! style="width:30px;" class="unsortable"| [[File:RPLogo.png|25px]]<br><small>'''[[Republican Party (Lihnidos)|RP]]'''</small>
! style="width:30px;" class="unsortable"| <imgur w=25>xn05tdp.png</imgur><br><small>'''[[Populist People’s Party (Lihnidos)|PPP]]'''</small>
! style="width:30px;" class="unsortable"| [[File:PPPLogo.png|25px]]<br><small>'''[[Populist People’s Party (Lihnidos)|PPP]]'''</small>
! style="width:30px;" rowspan="2" class="unsortable"| Lead
! style="width:30px;" rowspan="2" class="unsortable"| Lead
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Revision as of 01:28, 21 January 2019

Lihnidosi general election, 2014
Lihnidos Flag.png
← 2010 10 October 2014 (2014-10-10) 2018 →

350 seats in the National Assembly
176 seats needed for a majority
Turnout74.96%
  First party Second party Third party
  Fotis Raptis.png Dora Bakoyannis-headshot.jpg Dimitris Avramopoulos at the Pentagon April 2012.jpg
Leader Fotis Raptis Fania Zarou Christos Mikelakos
Party Conservative-National Alliance Democratic Coalition Coalition of Progressive Socialists
Leader since 24 January 2010 2 June 2002 19 November 2003
Leader's seat Pieria 20 Boeotia 18 Pieria 16
Seats won 182 129 17
Popular vote 14,103,403 12,291,321 2,525,471
Percentage 41.92% 36.53% 7.51%

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
  Lucas Papademos 2011-11-11.jpg Karolos Papoulias.jpg George Papandreou 2011-09-30.jpg
Leader Lazaros Metaxas Panagiotakis Xanthopoulos Vlassis Charalambos
Party Centrist Union Republican Party Populist People's Party
Leader since 1 January 2009 30 October 2012 8 March 2007
Leader's seat Thasos 7 Phthiotis 13 Messenia 8
Seats won 11 7 4
Popular vote 2,159,979 1,371,619 1,191,814
Percentage 6.42% 4.08% 3.54%

<imgur w=300>rc4aCWV.png</imgur>
Colors denote the winning party, on a constituency-by-constituency basis.

Prime Minister before election

Fotis Raptis
CNA

Prime Minister

Fotis Raptis
CNA

The Lihnidos general election of 2014 took place on 10 October 2014. All three hundred fifty members of the National Assembly of Lihnidos were up for reelection under the first past the post electoral system. The Conservative-National Alliance retained its governing majority in the National Assembly following the election but lost a number of seats to the Democratic Coalition and other minor parties.

With one hundred seventy-six seats needed for an absolute majority, the Conservatives were operating with a total of two hundred six seats prior to the 2014 general election. With thirty seats over the amount needed for an absolute majority and by far the most seats in the National Assembly, the Conservatives had far more seats to defend than any other party. Polls taken leading up to the election showed the official opposition led by Fania Zarou poised to do far better than they had four years prior in 2010. Following the first leaders debate the Conservatives's lead in the polls grew but quickly dropped back down in the following days to the levels before the debate. After the final debate a week before election day the Conservatives continued to maintain a small lead in the polls over the Democratic Coalition.

Exit polling and projections by media outlets shortly after the polls closed on election night showed a victory for the Conservative-National Alliance. While it appeared that the Conservatives would maintain their absolute majority in the National Assembly, the percentage of the vote was projected to be extremely close with only a two percentage victory for the party. Official results released by the National Board of Elections later showed that the Conservatives won 41.92% of the vote while the Democratic Coalition won only 39.53%, over three percentage points higher than was projected early in the night. The Conservatives won one hundred eighty-two seats having lost twenty-four seats.

After the results had been certified by the National Board of Elections the following day, Conservative-National Alliance leader Fotis Raptis traveled to the Imperial Palace to meet with Empress Stella II. After the meeting had ended it was announced that the Empress invited the Prime Minister to once again form a majority government.

Electoral system and date

The National Assembly of Lihnidos operates on a first past the post system. During the election, each party may choose to run a candidate in any of the three hundred fifty constituencies. One representative is elected in each constituency through the first past the post system, in which the candidate with the most votes after voting has concluded is elected. A party that wins a majority of the seats in the National Assembly is able to form the Government after consultation with the Empress. If no party was able to win a majority of the seats during the election, parties may attempt to negotiate coalition agreements in order to form a government with a coalition majority or parties may attempt to form a minority government. During a hung national assembly, the Empress has the authority to dissolve the legislature and call for another general election if no party is able to properly form the Government.

Per the National Representation Act of 1926, the National Assembly was dissolved on the second Friday of July, July 11th, with the general election set for the second Friday of October, October 10th. The internal process employed by parties to choose their candidates officially began on July 14th and was officially concluded on August 8th. Following the general election of 2014, 12 October 2018 was set as the date for the next general election.

Voter eligibility

To be eligible to vote in the Lihnidosi general election, one must be:

  • Registered with the National Board of Elections
  • 18 years old on election day
  • A Lihnidosi citizen
  • Currently living in Lihnidos
  • Not legally excluded from voting

The National Board of Elections accepts voter registrations up to two weeks before the date of the general election. On midnight at the end of the fifteenth day from the election, any registrations that have not been processed by the board will be deemed overdue. Overdue registrations will still be processed and the registrant added to the list of registered voters, but the registrant will not be able to vote in the upcoming election. Registrants whose registration papers were submitted past due will be notified of their ineligibility to vote in the upcoming election. Information regarding registered voters is sent to the each constituency based on the address a registrant put on their registration papers. Registered voters are only able to vote one time in the constituency that they registered under on their registration papers.

Timetable

11 July Dissolution of the National Assembly
14 July Party process to choose candidates begins
8 August Last day for official candidates to submit campaign papers to the National Board of Elections
25 September Last day to register to vote and request a postal vote
3 October Final debate
10 October Election day
17 October New National Assembly is sworn-in
24 October State Opening of the National Assembly

Parties

  • Conservative-National Alliance: The Conservative-National Alliance sought to retain its majority in 2014 after losses in 2010. After losses during his first general election in 2010, CNA leader and Prime Minister Fotis Raptis looked to strengthen his position in the party by increasing the majority during the general election.
  • Democratic Coalition: As the main left-wing party and the second largest party since 2006 when it lost its majority, the Democratic Coalition hoped to retake the majority in 2014 despite poor poll numbers. Unable to get many policies pushed through the National Assembly without a majority, the DC's platform had few changes in 2014.
  • Coalition of Progressive Socialists: As the third oldest party in the National Assembly, the CPU maintained as the third largest party in the 2010 elections. Its increased success in 2010 prompted the CPU leadership to shift its platform further to the left. The party announced that it would be open to a coalition with the Democratic Coalition if the DC was able to win enough seats to get it close to a majority.
  • Centrist Union: The Centrist Union made no changes to its party platform for the 2014 election. Remaining as the only party that campaigned as neither a left-wing or right-wing party, the CU campaigned with the hopes of attracting moderates from both sides of the political spectrum. The CU leader, Lazaros Metaxas, insisted that the CU was the answer to a calm and efficient government.
  • Republican Party: Led by Panagiotakis Xanthopoulos, the 2014 general election was the first national election that the Republican Party participated in. Having been recognized by the National Board of Elections as an official party in 2013, the RP was quick to build a significant media presence and national profile. The controversy surrounding the recognition of the Republican Party as an official party among many of the nobility and part of the party's platform calling for a referendum on the continuation of the monarchy made the party an attractive choice to right-wing voters who wished to see a change from a monarchy to a republic.
  • Populist People's Party: The 2014 election was the second general election that the PPP was a part of. Following its poor showing in 2010 when it only won one seat, the PPP shifted its platform slightly to the left as it had been criticized as being too extreme. Still advertising itself as the right-wing alternative to the CNA, the PPP hoped to pull CNA voters unhappy with the supposed betrayal of right-wing ideals that the PPP insisted the CNA had committed.

Candidates

1157 candidates stood for election in the 2014 general election, up from the 1103 who stood in the 2010 election. The Conservative-National Alliance, Democratic Coalition, and Centrist Union stood in all 350 constituencies like had been done four years prior in 2010. The Coalition of Progressive Socialists stood candidates in 47 constituencies, up from the 39 that they had stood in 2010. The Republican Party contested 21 constituencies. The 2014 general election was the first election that the Republican Party participated in as an official party. The Populist People's Party stood candidates in 39 constituencies, up from the 14 they had contested in 2010.

59 independent candidates stood in constituencies across the country after failing to have the minor parties they supported recognized by the National Board of Elections. No independent candidates won election.

Selection Process

Parties had twenty-five days between 14 July and 8 August to select the candidates that would be standing in chosen constituencies. The Conservative-National Alliance accepted applications to run in 218 constituencies that were deemed competitive in an attempt to get the best candidate that could have a possibility of retaining a seat or flipping one. The remaining 132 constituencies were represented by the incumbent candidate. The Democratic Coalition took the same approach, accepting applications for candidates in 258 constituencies while selecting the incumbent to run in 92. The Centrist Union accepted candidates to run in all 350 constituencies. The Coalition of Progressive Socialists, Republican Party, and Populist People's Party accepted no applications for candidates to run, instead prompting to only allow the incumbents to run for re-election or have candidates selected by the party headquarters.

Campaign

Background

In the lead up to the general election there were several indicators as to how the public attitude had shifted since the 2010 election. There were two by-elections between April and June, both of which were held in areas that were predominantly democratic. The first, held on 12 April 2014, occurred following the death of Assemblyman Marinos Andreas who represented Thasos's 11th district outside of Phliita. Andreas, a member of the Democratic Coalition, had won re-election in 2010 with 48.4% of the vote. The race appeared to be competitive after several rounds of polling showed DC candidate Melpomeni Stephanidis with only a slim 1-2% lead over CNA candidate Vlassis Sanna. The results of the election showed the DC candidate winning by a larger margin than Andreas had won re-election, with Stephanidis winning 52.8% of the vote and Sanna winning only 39.1% of the vote.

A similar result was found in the by-election to replace DC Assemblyman Yorgos Lia following his resignation from the National Assembly. Klikis's 3rd district had been held by the Democratic Coalition for twenty years prior to the by-election, and it was widely expected that DC candidate Elisavet Pavlina would win the district by an overwhelming margin. Pavlina won the district by a margin of 21.4%.

The apparent strengthening of support for democratic candidates in traditionally DC areas of the nation worried some in the Conservative-National Alliance who feared that increased support in largely DC constituencies could also mean that DC support in the rest of the country had risen.

Provincial council elections had been held in October of 2012 and saw a slight increase in support among the Democratic Coalition in Kilkis, Preveza, Corinthia, and Serres. The conservatives suffered losses in several close races but managed to increase their position in Messenia, Kalymnos, and Phthiotis.

The 2014 general election was also the first election that the Republican Party was recognized as an official party. The recognition of the party gave the anti-monarchists a larger platform as their leader would potentially be allowed to attend nationally televised debates and likely be given televised exposure.

Issues

Healthcare

The cost of healthcare had been gradually increasing since the previous general election in 2010. The Democratic Coalition promised to put more resources and funding into the healthcare system to ensure that costs were lowered and that everyone would be able to afford to see a doctor. The DC proposed an increased tax rate for those making over $200,000 a year in order to help pay for the increased spending.

The CPA's manifesto promised a shift to socialized medicine and a guarantee that everyone would be able to see a doctor or have a surgery at no cost to the individual.

University Costs

The Democratic Coalition promised university students that the party would work to lower university tuition rates across the country if the party came to power after the election. The Coalition of Progressive Socialists attempted to pull the youth vote away from the DC by promising to eliminate university tuition fees completely and make university free for all. Average tuition rates in Lihnidos were on average slightly over $11,000 a year.

Both parties were criticized on their proposals by the right-wing parties who stated that it was unrealistic to eliminate university tuition and that the cost of tuition should not be lowered through government regulation that would put a financial burden on the institutions.

Tax Rates

As is the norm for general elections, the issue of tax rates and business friendly policies was an important issue being pushed by the Conservative-National Alliance. The CNA manifesto promised that the party would lower taxes for the average man and woman while also increasing the standard deductible. The party also promised to lower the corporate tax rate from 34% to 30%. The proposals drew swift push back from the opposition parties who insisted that the CNA was going to give tax breaks to the wealthy while increasing taxes on the middle and lower class. The PPP and RP also drew attention to the CNA's lack of movement on the issue while the party held a majority in the National Assembly from 2010 to 2014.

BC Membership

Membership in the Belisarian Community was expected to be a small issue in the campaigning for the election but grew in prominence following a declaration by the leader of the Populist People's Party that he would seek Lihnidos's exit from the organization should he become Prime Minister. His statement led to members of other parties being questioned on their stance of Lihnidos's membership in the community. Both the Prime Minister and Leader of the Democratic Coalition stated their approval of the community and ensured that neither of their parties would seek Lihnidos's exit from the organization. The Coalition of Progressive Socialists gave limited support to the organization while the Centrist Union refused to take a position and the Republican Party also sought an exit from the organization.

In an effort to invalidate the proposal made by the PPP, the Democratic Coalition ran advertisements showcasing the benefits of membership in the Belisarian Community. Fania Zarou, the opposition leader in the National Assembly, said that, "[Lihnidos's] membership in the Belisarian Community is a vital part of our continued relations with our fellow Belisarian nations." The CNA included wording in its manifesto that could be interpreted as support for the organization. Despite this, several CNA candidates in the election were seen to be openly against the Belisarian Community as a whole.

Government Reform

The Republican Party promised a referendum on the form of government in Lihnidos were they to gain a majority in the National Assembly. Staunchly anti-monarchist, the republican manifesto stated that a referendum would be held asking citizens if they preferred the monarchist form of government that Lihnidos currently had or if an ulterior form of government was desired. While the secondary type of government that the republicans would be asking about on the referendum was not specified, the Leader of the Republican Party, Panagiotakis Xanthopoulos, told supporters that he personally preferred a unitary semi-presidential republic that would see a President replace the Empress as head of state and keep the Prime Minister and National Assembly as it is now.

Polling on the matter showed that roughly 65 to 70% were supportive of the monarchy and were not interested in a change in the form of government.

Party campaigns

Conservative-National Alliance

The Conservative-National Alliance announced its manifesto and platform on 21 August. The platform stuck to the traditional right-wing policies that the party had held since it retook the majority from the DC in 2006. The Prime Minister, who presented the manifesto, assured voters that there would be no increase in taxes, but rather individuals and corporations would see a decrease in their taxes if the CNA was re-elected with a majority in the National Assembly. The CNA promised to further cut regulations for business in a continuing process to make Lihnidos a more business friendly country and to encourage investment in the economy. The manifesto stated that the CNA would look to increase military spending as well as government grants to local police forces so that they too could modernize and keep communities safe. Increasing healthcare costs was acknowledged by the party, and reform was promised, but the proposed reforms were vague and meaningless without further clarification, which drew criticism from the opposition. There was no change in social policy in 2014, as the CNA did not include any changed position on gay marriage or abortion. The criminalization of the drugs for recreational use remained, with the Prime Minister stating that there would be no leniency on the issue.

The manifesto included little with regards to the Belisarian Community of the CNA position or military intervention in foreign countries, which was later explained as an attempt by the party leadership to leave their option open if anything were to arise regarding either issue. Immigration and border reform and the process that foreigners applied for refugee status was said to need reform in order to increase security and to ensure that, with the free movement of people in the BC, no hostile actors were infiltrating the country.

The CNA was looking to maintain its majority in the National Assembly. Polling suggested that the party may lose some seats in urban areas, but would likely still retain a majority. CNA candidates, taking direction from the party leadership, promoted themselves as candidates with logical policy positions that would increase the quality of life in the nation. The CNA called attention to the DC policy on social issues, playing to the largely religions population of Lihnidos, and even going so far in some instances to accuse the DC of "being the devil's choice."

Democratic Coalition

Fania Zarou presented the Democratic Coalition manifesto on 20 August with the chairman and deputy leader of the party.

On domestic policy, Zarou promised to lower the cost of healthcare and allocate more spending for social programs and welfare in order to make the lives of those who were less fortunate easier and more pleasant until they were able to improve their situation. She promised reform in higher education and a decrease in the cost of university along with an increase in student grants. She stated that the party would seek to legalize gay marriage increase the rights of gay couples. Other proposals included immigration reform to make it easier for people to immigrate and seek refuge, an institution of mandatory voting, criminal justice reform, and a crackdown on racial bigotry.

The foreign policy of the DC had remained unchanged since 2010. The party would seek greater cooperation with the Belisarian Community and further expansion of the organization. The party would oppose any increases in military spending and sought to limit foreign intervention in order to cool tensions between hostile powers throughout the region.

The Democratic Coalition ran candidates in all 350 constituencies but put most of its funding and resources into constituencies that had had close races in 2010. The main focus of the party was on cities and areas of the country with more diverse demographics. Their main goal of the election was to retake the majority in the National Assembly from the Conservative-National Alliance, but polling quickly showed that it would be unlikely for the DC to do so. The goal of the party shifted in mid-September to capturing as many seats from the CNA as possible in order to lessen the party's majority. While being forced to defend seats that were vulnerable to the CPS, the DC attempted to challenge CNA candidates by labeling them as out of touch and a puppet of their wealthy donors.

Coalition of Progressive Socialists

The platform introduced in 2014 by the Coalition of Progressive Socialist was described by many on the right as an extremely left-wing, polarizing platform. The CPS, keeping with its tradition of left-wing social policies, looked to legalize gay marriage and abortion fully while also looking to decrease the hurdles to obtaining an abortion. The party promised a complete move to socialized medicine and an increase in spending for welfare and social programs. Economically, the CPS promised to eliminate university tuition fees and to wipe out any debt incurred by students due to said tuition. In order to tackle income inequality, the CPS said it would seek to increase taxes on the wealthy as well as increase the minimum wage. The abolition of the death penalty, legalization of recreational drugs, and reforming the criminal justice system were also parts of the CPS platform.

The CPS had a large presence on social media and was pushed largely by university-age youth. The party had the its largest presence in the constituencies outside of Arcadia and in several of the major cities. Targeting seats held by the Democratic Coalition, the CPS criticized the DC as being too moderate on important social and economic issues and often tried to align the DC with the conservatives.

Due to the CPS focusing on domestic policy, the DC pushed back against the CPS by attacking its lack of a detailed foreign policy. The CPS's insistence in lowering military spending also drew ire from the CNA.

Centrist Union

Lazaros Metaxas outlined the platform for the Centrist Union on 13 August in a live stream from the CU headquarters in Arcadia. The CU platform slightly changed from the CU's 2010 platform in which the party had no stance on gay marriage and abortion. The party changed its stance to being in favor of the legalization of gay marriage and the legalization of abortion in the case of fetal defects. The party continued to look for a reformed healthcare system that would decrease costs without having to raise taxes in order to increase spending. The CU also looked to make it easier for individuals to obtain unemployment benefits, but sought to limit the amount of time the welfare would be received in order to encourage employment and monetary responsibility. The CU also sought the end of the death penalty, legalization of certain recreational drugs, and a decrease in the minimum voting age. Taking a page from the Democratic Coalition, the CU promised a decrease in the cost of university tuition, but refused to say how it planned on lowering the cost.

The CU made a strong push for support in the northwest regions of Lihnidos and advertised itself as the party that could unite the National Assembly under shared values. The party campaigned in both left-wing and right-wing constituencies and asserted that it was the only party that could end partisanship in the National Assembly and, according to Metaxas, "get the government working again."

The CU ran candidates in all 350 constituencies and accepted a wide range of candidates running under its banner. It was described as the most ideologically diverse group of candidates ever to run under the same party by the Arcadia Daily, yet was also criticized as selling out on its purported values in favor of trying to win seats.

Republican Party

The Republican Party was the first party to announce their platform and release their manifesto. With the 2014 general election being the first national election the party was able to run in as an officially recognized party, the manifesto that was released by the party leadership was based off of the initial information given to the National Board of Elections when registering the party and what members had campaigned on in the lead up to the official recognition.

The official platform was announced on 10 August by republican leader Panagiotakis Xanthopoulos. The main point in the platform was the promise of a referendum on election reform that would give the populace a chance to give their input on the current form of government in Lihnidos. The party wished to ask whether the populace preferred the current state of the monarchy or if an abolition of the monarchy was desired. The platform also outlined the party's plans for lowering taxes, decreasing business regulation, legalizing gay marriage, increasing military spending, and leaving the Belisarian Community.

The party's desire to see the abolition of the monarchy saw sharp push back from the Conservative-National Alliance, who insisted that any referendum to change the system of government in the country would only invite chaos and uncertainty were the motion to pass. The Republican Party was seen as the main challenger to the CNA amongst the right-wing parties running in the election. Many of its economic and spending policies were aligned with the policies of the CNA and some in the CNA expressed concern that the Republican Party may siphon of enough of its voters to allow for a loss of the majority in the National Assembly. Hoping to gain from voters unsatisfied with the CNA, the RP advertised itself as the only reasonable alternative to the conservatives. Republican Party Chairman Eugenio Saccas stated, "[The Republican Party] is the best reasonable alternative to the Conservative-National Alliance. We're a party for change, a party that values what the people think." Many saw Saccas's inclusion of the word 'reasonable' as a jab at the Populist People's Party, which also sought to take voters from the CNA. The PPP was considered by many to be a far-right party.

The Republican Party campaigned mainly in CNA controlled areas of the country where races in 2010 saw CNA candidates win constituencies by large margins. The RP strategy of targeting majority right-wing constituencies saw their support increase in few parts of the country. The party's lack of sustainable funding meant that the party was only able to focus on a handful of constituencies that were deemed to be potentially winnable. Despite this, the RP ran candidates in several constituencies that were not targeted by the national party. Many of the constituencies that were not targeted with campaign ads and candidate funding by the national party were funded by the local or provincial republican parties.

Populist People's Party

The Populist People's Party was the final party to announce its official platform. Vlassis Charalambos presented the party's platform to a collection of supporters on 3 September. The platform had changed little from its 2010 platform. The party sought Lihnidos's exit from the Belisarian Community and a return to "nationstate democracy where the nations rule themselves." An exit from the BC would result in a renegotiation of trade deals in which the government would seek "fair and mutually beneficial" agreements. The party's manifesto left the possibilities of levying tariffs on any nations and products open. The platform also included an increase in taxes in order to pay for spending increases in healthcare and military spending. Charalambos promised to pull out Lihnidosi troops from all foreign nations and to expel any foreign troops currently in the country.

The Populist People's Party was criticized by its opponents as "far-right" and "not a realistic choice for anyone that values rational foreign policy." The party leadership attempted to change the general view of the party by highlighting its promise to increase spending on healthcare and social programs that would benefit the Lihnidosi public. The domestic policy positions of the PPP were often overlooked in favor of its foreign policy, which many described as isolationist and bigoted. A proposal in the party platform that looked to decrease immigration from "under developed nations" was removed from the platform after being criticized and condemned as "un-Lihnidosi."

The PPP looked to maintain the seats that had been won in 2010 and challenge CNA candidates areas that were overwhelmingly right-leaning. The PPP ran televised advertisements in targeted constituencies that described the CNA as having "no backbone" and of being "another establishment, liberal party." The party's attempt to persuade CNA voters unhappy with inaction in the CNA was considered to be a failing strategy, as the two party's platforms were radically different.

Debates

The traditional format of two television stations holding televised debates during the campaigning period for a general election continued in 2014 as Channel 3 and LBC were chosen by the National Board of Elections to host prime time debates. The first debate was held on 13 August on Channel 3 and was hosted by moderators Demophon Vallas and Xandra Petride. It was unclear if the leaders of the Republican Party or People's Populist Party would be permitted to attend the debate after failing to gain the normally required average of five percent in polling running up to the debate. In the five polls taken leading up to the debate, the Republican Party garnered an average of two percent of the vote while the PPP also only managed to garner two percent. The PPP had been absent from both debates in the 2010 general election after failing to reach the threshold. The Republican Party, which was debuting in the 2014 election, accused the NBE of catering to the government and being influenced by the monarchy. Increased pressure by the two parties resulted in the NBE ending the polling threshold and allowing the two leaders to participate.

Prior to the first debate the Conservative-National Alliance held a slim lead in the polls. The average of five polls before the debate put the CNA at 40 percent while the Democratic Coalition trailed closely at 37.6 percent. The Coalition of Progressive Socialists averaged at 9.8 percent and the Centrist Union at 8.6. What was deemed an excellent performance by Prime Minister and CNA leader Fotis Raptis resulted in a bump in polls for the CNA after the debate. Polling for the CNA after the debate saw the party receiving percentages of the vote in the high forties, even reaching fifty percent in one poll. The polling bump following the first debate had dwindled by the time the second debate neared, with CNA polling numbers falling back to the low forties.

The second debate was held on 3 October by LBC and hosted by Lysandra Duka and Meliza Kozma. Polling averages from the previous five polls leading up to the debate kept the CNA in the lead with 41 percent, the DC trail with 38 percent, and the CPA, CU, RP, and PPP come in with 7.4 percent, 8 percent, 3 percent, and 2.6 percent respectively. The RP and PPP would have once again been excluded from the debate had the NBE not rescinded the five percent polling rule.

The debate was widely considered to be a draw, as no candidate stood out or preformed exceptionally well. High expectations for the Prime Minister following the first debate fell flat and three of the seven polls taken the week between the second debate and election day showed the Democratic Coalition either leading or tied with the CNA.

Ratings for the second debate exceeded expectations and set the record for the most viewed debate in Lihnidosi history. The first debate held on Channel 3 on 13 August was viewed by an estimated 28 million people, while the second debate held on LBC on 3 October was viewed by an estimated 42 million. According to LBC exit polling taken on election day, only 39% of voters attributed the way they voted to the televised debates.

Polling

Fieldwork date Polling firm CNALogo.png
CNA
DCLogo.png
DC
CPSLogo.png
CPS
CULogo.png
CU
RPLogo.png
RP
PPPLogo.png
PPP
Lead
10 October 2014 General election results 41.92 36.53 7.51 6.42 4.08 3.54 5.39
9-10 October AD 39 38 9 6 6 2 1
9 October LBC 37 40 11 7 4 1 3
7-8 October Theta21 Media Group 43 35 6 6 3 7 8
5-8 October United Belisaria 42 38 7 7 4 2 4
5 October GPO 40 40 8 6 3 3 0
3-5 October Argyris Analysis 42 37 5 8 2 6 5
4 October LBC 39 40 9 5 6 1 1
3 October Six-way Leaders Debate between Fotis Raptis, Fania Zarou, Christos Mikelakos, Lazaros Metaxas, Panagiotakis Xanthopoulos and Vlassis Charalambos held on LBC
27-30 September Theta21 Media Group 40 38 8 7 4 3 2
20-23 September United Belisaria 41 37 7 7 4 4 4
16-19 September LBC 41 39 8 8 2 2 2
14-17 September Alca 41 39 7 10 2 1 3
13-14 September Argyris Analysis 42 37 7 8 3 3 5
13-14 September AD 41 37 7 6 5 4 4
8-10 September University of Arcadia 42 37 9 7 2 3 5
4-7 September NPI/UP 41 38 7 6 4 4 3
2-5 September The View 43 41 7 6 2 1 2
1-3 September LDI/Metris 43 40 6 6 2 3 3
1 September ProRass/Palmas 45 40 5 8 1 1 5
28-31 August AD 43 39 7 7 2 2 4
26-29 August Theta21 Media Group 43 39 6 8 3 1 4
24-27 August United Belisaria 42 37 8 6 4 3 5
22-25 August The View 44 37 8 7 2 2 7
22 August GPO 45 40 7 6 1 1 5
17-21 August Argyris Analysis 46 40 7 5 2 1 6
16-19 August LiVoice 47 40 5 5 2 1 7
15-17 August Alca 46 39 6 6 1 2 9
14-16 August LBC 48 39 6 5 1 1 9
14-15 August Channel 3 Research 50 38 5 5 1 1 12
14-15 August ProRass/Palmas 44 37 10 6 2 1 7
14 August AD 45 36 8 6 2 3 9
13 August Six-way Leaders Debate between Fotis Raptis, Fania Zarou, Christos Mikelakos, Lazaros Metaxas, Panagiotakis Xanthopoulos and Vlassis Charalambos held on Channel 3
12 August Theta21 Media Group 39 36 12 9 3 1 3
9-11 August Channel 3 Research 38 38 10 8 3 3 0
8-10 August GPO 41 37 10 8 1 3 4
7-8 August LBC 40 39 9 9 2 1 1
3-7 August Argyris Analysis 42 38 8 9 1 2 4
2-4 August AD 41 39 6 10 2 2 2
27-31 July LDI/Metris 43 38 8 8 2 1 5
24-28 July Alca 42 39 9 7 3 0 3
21-25 July Channel 3 Research 40 38 10 8 3 1 2
17-19 July Theta21 Media Group 41 37 7 11 4 0 4
16-17 July ProRass/Palmas 41 37 8 10 3 1 4
14-16 July LiVoice 42 38 6 9 3 2 4
12-14 July The View 43 38 8 9 2 0 6
11 July National Assembly is dissolved

Election results

File:Lihnidos National Assembly.png
The National Assembly after the election.

After all 350 constituencies had been declared, the results were:

Party Leader NAMs Votes
Of total Of total
Conservative-National Alliance Fotis Raptis 182 52%
182 / 350
14,103,403 41.92%
41.92 / 100
Democratic Coalition Fania Zarou 129 36.9%
129 / 350
12,291,321 36.53%
36.53 / 100
Coalition of Progressive Socialists Christos Mikelakos 17 4.9%
17 / 350
2,525,471 7.51%
7.51 / 100
Centrist Union Lazaros Metaxas 11 3.1%
11 / 350
2,159,979 6.42%
6.42 / 100
Republican Party Panagiotakis Xanthopoulos 7 2%
7 / 350
1,371,619 4.08%
4.08 / 100
Populist People's Party Vlassis Charalambos 4 1.1%
4 / 350
1,191,814 3.54%
3.54 / 100

Aftermath and analysis

The Conservative-National Alliance saw a drop in support in the 2014 election while the Democratic Coalition saw a slight bump. The Coalition of Progressive Socialist and Centrist Union also saw a drop in support. The Populist People's Party saw a small increase in support, but still remained behind the Republican Party who gained seven seats as it was the first general election that party ran in. It was speculated the the slight increase in PPP support and surprising amount of support for the Republican Party was the main factor in declining support for the CNA while the Democratic Coalition benefited from the decrease in support for the CU and CPS.

Following the release of exit polls and the accumulation of actual results into the night the stock market futures in Lihnidos rose to +300 points. News that the Conservative-National Alliance would be retaining its majority in the National Assembly was a welcome result as it guaranteed that the party's business-friendly policies would be remaining in place.

While losing seats, the CNA preformed better than most polls predicted in the days leading up to the election. After the swearing-in of the new National Assembly and the state opening Fotis Raptis was re-elected as the Prime Minister and welcomed back into the position by the Empress. The Democratic Coalition, who saw an uptick in support during the election and a larger minority in the National Assembly after gaining seats, used its slight increase in popularity as an argument for increased cooperation between the two major parties. The attempt to pull the CNA towards the left was ineffective as the CNA leadership refused to bring DC bills to the floor for a vote within a week of the state opening.

The success of the Republican Party in its first election surprised many who expected the party and its message to fall flat. The seven seats won by the RP, being spread out across the country, and the over 1.3 million votes the party garnered showed that there were places in the nation that were not sympathetic to the monarchist form of government. The Republicans outperformed the Populist People's Party who had been in the previous 2010 general election in a shocking upset. Despite polling consistently showing the RP securing a larger percentage of the vote than the PPP, it had been widely accepted among pundits that the PPP would pull through and outperform the RP.

The poor performance of the PPP in the election led to many members of the party to call for his resignation. Despite the pressure to turn over power to his deputy, he maintained his position as the head of the party and insisted that he was not to blame for the party's shortcomings. He promised to remain as the party's leader and see the party through to the next election and beyond.