The conservative New Democracy (ND) party must fare exceptionally badly for Georgia Martinou to lose her seat for the constituency of Attica, near Athens.
The daughter of Thanassis Martinos of Eastern Mediterranean Maritime entered parliament in 2012 and is now set to win her third term on 20 September, just four days before her 40th birthday.
Konstantinos Karamanlis, a nephew and cousin to prime ministers of the same name, is unassailable at the top spot of ND’s ballot in his family’s political fiefdom of Serres in northern Greece. Karamanlis, who turned 40 in December, was a major shareholder in Hellenic Carriers run by his sister, Fotini.
Both Martinou and Karamanlis have been very low-profile lawmakers and are not known to have made any public statements about shipping in the brief, seven-month life of the outgoing parliament.
The same cannot be said of George Stathakis, minister for economy, tourism and shipping with the outgoing government of the ruling Syriza party.
Stathakis, a son and brother to shipowners, is again heading Syriza’s list for Canea, Crete, and will certainly clinch a new term. The same goes for his deputy at the ministry, Thodoris Dritsas, who is heading the Syriza ballot in Piraeus.
After several unsuccessful attempts to enter parliament for small, reformist parties, Maria Tsakos, a legal consultant in the business group founded by her uncle, Captain Panagiotis Tsakos, has decided not to run this time.
This being a snap, repeat election, citizens will cast preference votes for parties and not for individual candidates. That means that candidates for big parties near the top of the ballot list can be sure of re-election.
