1951 Greek legislative election

Parliamentary elections were held in Greece on 9 September 1951. They resulted in an ambivalent outcome, consisting a narrow and pyrrhic, as proven later, victory for the ruling center-liberal parties of Sophoklis Venizelos and Nikolaos Plastiras.

1951 Greek legislative election

9 September 1951
All 258 seats in the Hellenic Parliament 130 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party   Leader Alexandros Papagos Nikolaos Plastiras Party Greek Rally EPEK Last election – 16.45%, 45 seats Seats won 114 74 Seat change New 29 Popular vote 624,316 401,379 Percentage 36.53% 23.49% Swing New 7.04pp   Third party Fourth party   Leader Sofoklis Venizelos Ioannis Passalidis Party Liberal EDA Last election 17.24%, 56 seats – Seats won 57 10 Seat change 1 New Popular vote 325,390 180,640 Percentage 19.04% 10.57% Swing 1.80pp New
Prime Minister before election Sofoklis Venizelos Liberal Prime Minister after election Nikolaos Plastiras EPEK

Background

After the Greek elections of 1950, when the divided centrist parties had a clear majority in the Parliament political instability was the main characteristic of the political life in Greece. The subsequent centre-liberal governments of Sophoklis Venizelos, Nikolaos Plastiras and Georgios Papandreou did not manage to ensure and enforce stability. As a result, Nikolaos Plastiras supported a People's Party government, under the terms that the latter would soon conduct elections.

Outcome

First party in the elections of 1951 was the just-founded Greek Rally of Alexandros Papagos, which swept the traditionally dominant right-wing People's Party. Nevertheless, the two major centrist-liberal parties, the Liberal Party and the National Progressive Center Union, elected more deputies than the conservatives.

The left-wing EDA, a party believed to have been affiliated with the outlaw during 1950-1974 Communist Party of Greece, made its first appearance in these elections.

Results

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Greek Rally	624,316	36.53	114	New
	National Progressive Center Union	401,379	23.49	74	+29
	Liberal Party	325,390	19.04	57	+1
	United Democratic Left	180,640	10.57	10	–8
	People's Party	113,876	6.66	2	–60
	Georgios Papandreou Party	35,810	2.10	0	–35
	Agricultural and Labour Party	21,009	1.23	1	New
	Socialist Party of Greece	3,912	0.23	0	New
	List of Independents	1,554	0.09	0	0
	Communist Archio-Marxist Party	53	0.00	0	New
	Independents	965	0.06	0	0
Total		1,708,904	100.00	258	+8
Valid votes		1,708,904	99.53
Invalid/blank votes		8,108	0.47
Total votes		1,717,012	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		2,224,246	77.20
Source: Nohlen & Stöver, Hellenic Parliament

Aftermath

Since no party or alliance had the absolute majority in the Parliament and Alexandros Papagos refused to participate in a government of national unity, the Liberal Party and the National Progressive Center Union formed a minority government under the leadership of Nikolaos Plastiras, which lasted for about a year, since 1952, when Nikolaos Plastiras submitted his resignation and new legislative elections were proclaimed by the King Paul I.