1951 Greek legislative election
# 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.

## 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 | 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 | Total | 1,708,904 | 100.00 | 258 | +8 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 1,708,904 | 99.53 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 8,108 | 0.47 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 1,717,012 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | 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.

