This week, the People of Greece research platform asked Greeks for their opinion on the characteristics of the ideal leader, on the revelations of the OPEKEPE illegal funding scandal, on LGBTI community events, on the intimacy we feel towards members of the LGBTI community, and on the use of the online shopping platforms TEMU and SHEIN.
The findings showed that:
- Honesty and moral consistency are the most important characteristics of the ideal leader, but also of high importance are the characteristics of a clear political direction, mainly from right-wing and older citizens, sensitivity to social inequalities, mainly from left-wing and younger voters, and distance from party mechanisms, mainly from middle-aged citizens.
- Age and political self-positioning differentiate the desirable characteristics of the ideal leader, with younger generations preferring a leader outside traditional politics with a consensual decision-making profile, while older and right-wing voters attach greater importance to the leader’s political experience and party legitimacy and to a centralised decision-making profile.
- The revelation of the scandal of illegal funding by the OPEKEPE is perceived as a confirmation of the widespread corruption affecting the country and not as a sign of a reversal of the phenomenon.
- Attitudes towards LGBTQ community events appear increasingly negative over time, probably as a consequence of the extent and acuteness of the debate that began with the passage of the same-sex marriage equality bill in early 2024.
- Familiarity with the identities of trans, queer and transgender people is still low, in contrast to the identities of gay and bisexual people, which show high levels of acceptance, particularly among younger age groups.
- The online platforms TEMU and SHEIN are a central means of shopping for the vast majority of Greeks, especially young people, even after the imposition of a special tax on them.
See in detail the opinion of Greeks in the infographics below.
Leadership characteristics
- Honesty and moral consistency, on the one hand, and clear political positions, on the other, are chosen by the vast majority of Greeks as the most desirable characteristics of the ideal leader.
- Social justice, on the one hand, and restarting production, on the other, are chosen as the most desirable political narratives, with the former being preferred primarily by those who position themselves on the left and the latter by those who position themselves on the right.
- Two out of three Greeks say they would like to see people “outside politics” in political leadership, but most feel that such a leader should have passed the electoral test in order to strengthen his or her political legitimacy. The age of the leader is judged as a non-important factor by most.
- The consensual leadership style is chosen by 70% of Greeks as the most suitable for crisis management, while the centralized leadership style is chosen by only 30%. It is noted that the centralized style shows higher popularity among voters positioned on the right.
The OPEKEPE case
- Almost two out of three Greeks believe that the revelation of the scandal of illegal funding by OPEKEPE will not lead to a reduction of corruption in Greece.
- Four out of five Greeks believe that the money illegally given by OPEKEPE will not be returned to the state.
Pride Month – Pride Events
- The awareness index for the LGBTI community’s actions for Pride Month is close to 45% of Greeks, but it remains much lower than the awareness of other current issues.
- Only one in five Greeks express a positive attitude towards LGBTI community events, with the rate exceeding 30% among younger Greeks. Attitudes towards these events seem to clearly distinguish left-wing from right-wing voters, with the percentage of positive attitudes exceeding 40% for left-wing voters and being limited to 5% for right-wing voters.
- Seven in ten Greeks say they feel comfortable being around a gay man or woman, but less than half feel the same when around trans, queer or transgender people. Awkwardness towards these three identities is most pronounced among those over 55, while those under 35 show the highest levels of familiarity with these identities.
Shopping from TEMU/SHEIN
- Two out of three Greeks, and three out of four Greeks under 35, have made online purchases (mainly clothes, shoes and accessories) through the TEMU and SHEIN platforms in the last six months.
- A tax of €2 per parcel sent from these platforms will only have a negative impact on 40% of users of the two platforms, who say that it will reduce the frequency of their purchases.
- Two out of three Greeks say that the European Union should take more measures to protect local markets from excessive competition from the two platforms.
