– Hey, sit down, let’s go! Lawyer and “painted” Olympiakos, Vassilis Kerasiotis, he did not want to speak to me openly, but it was heard in his voice. Just as you do not wish the actor success before the premiere, you do not start a discussion about final four before qualifying (we spoke on Friday morning, a few hours before jambol in Turkey with Fenerbahce in the 4th play-off match). The right fan is holding a small basket. And Mr. Kerasiotis is a fan through and through. Just imagine, even though he filled out the documents to vote in Lithuania, because the date of the national elections coincides with their grand finale. Euroleaguenot going there just in case o Olympic does not pass (knock on wood).

“I bought tickets for the match, but I can sell them on the secondary market. I haven’t booked plane tickets yet, I’m waiting for what will happen today (i.e. yesterday). If I have to give 1000 euros to go to Kaunaslet it be because Olympiacos has passed”, says “K”. “However, I risk not voting! They forced us to apply (to vote in elections from Lithuania) before we knew how things would turn out.”

Two constituencies

Olympiacos’ good performance in the Euroleague regular season, which showed it would play in the playoffs and even as a favorite, prompted many fans to buy tickets to the Final Four in Kaunas and go through the short foreigner process. . On April 12, when the platform was closed, 108 voters from Vilnius and another 87 from Kaunas applied for participation in the elections. Although we do not know the final number of voters who will vote in Lithuania (they had the opportunity three days before the official announcement of the election to suspend their registration on special voter lists abroad), two polling stations have already been established. , in Vilnius and Kaunas. At least 40 voters are required to create a polling station. Electors in overseas districts vote on the state ballot with no preference for the cross.

“Sick” as she talks to her crew Christina Abela, a philologist, before reaching the final four, rushed to buy tickets for matches and get her voting papers in Lithuania. “I really love this team. Even when we lost, I thought we were going to win. So I wanted to be with them for the rest of this journey.” says “K”. At the same time, he did not want to miss the opportunity to vote. “When the prime minister named a specific date, I was upset. I didn’t want to lose the election. We cannot always blame others, but we take fate into our own hands. Participation in elections is a privilege that has been earned through hard work.” He talks about it to the children in the class. “Citizens must do the work, participate. The most important decisions are made in Parliament. Is it possible to be indifferent? However, unfortunately, in the event that Olympiacos (far from us) does not qualify, Ms. Ampela will also lose the opportunity to vote as she will not go. “It’s a lot of money. But it goes without saying that if we go to the re-election on time, I will change my voting rights to be able to vote.”

“I don’t lose it”

Journalist Yannis Psarakishowever, he will still go to Lithuania, where he will vote. “I’ve been to 30 Final Fours, I don’t miss this meeting. Accordingly, I consider elections to be the highest democratic right. I have been voting all the time since I was 18 (I’m 54) and I consider it my duty. Only in 2014 I was not able to participate in the municipal and regional elections, because I was in the “final four” in Milan, and there was no such opportunity at that time.” This time he will not only vote, but there is a possibility that he will be elected to the election commission! “Greece will send representatives of the judiciary to both departments, but the electorate will consist of voters.” Don’t worry, they won’t miss the final, the overseas elections will take place on Saturday. He will vote in Kaunas, but Vilnius has received the most applications. “It’s a lot cheaper to live there.” It is the travel and accommodation costs that are holding back the number of Olympiacos fans who will eventually travel to Lithuania. If last year there were 10,000 Red and White fans in the stands of the Stark Arena in Belgrade, this year it is expected that their number will not exceed 2,000. If it doesn’t work, then even less. “A group of 20 people told me that if they didn’t qualify, 10 would go to Lithuania and the rest would stay in Warsaw for the holidays,” says Mr Psarakis.