On Saturday (28.01) Zefi Dimadama announced on her personal Facebook account that she would not be a politician in the upcoming elections. This statement by a Pantheion University professor, president of the Greek-Athenian Women’s Union, PASOK official and close associate of the late Fofi Gennimata might not make so much sense if it did not include the following phrase: “Politics today is toxic.” […] and he needs inexhaustible financial resources (I don’t have and don’t want to have sponsors).”

“When I wrote the text on Facebook,” Ms. Dimadama “K” says, “I wanted to really express what is happening because, they say, he had a fight with the president, something is wrong.” In this particular case, we had to say what we all say to each other, but to no one else: what is the price.” Indeed, in 2023, how much does an election campaign cost? How much does the right to vote cost?

Experts, political communicators, and people with extensive political strategy experience explain to K that the cost of an election campaign depends on many factors. First, from the district in which he claims to be elected. Secondly, because of the visibility of the candidate, younger candidates are at a disadvantage compared to older candidates who are highly recognized by the electorate, or candidates who are artists or athletes and are already known to the world. Thirdly, from the ambitions of each candidate – the desire for a seat under the sun of parliament has different costs, and the desire for a ministerial post or the first place in voting in a multi-party constituency has other costs. And of course, fourthly, on how much money can be allocated.

The problem, as communications expert Giorgos Flessas told K, is one. “I vote for someone if I know them, if I don’t know them, I don’t vote for them – the first thing everyone should strive for is to be famous,” he states. For young politicians in the 1st district of Thessaloniki, for example, their election campaign to be completed would require approximately 80,000-100,000 euros. “I think that for new candidates, the preparation time is a year ahead – you won’t be able to do anything in three months. Communication takes time to “write,” he argues. For the re-election of an incumbent Member of Parliament in a large constituency, i.e. in Attica, the cost of the electoral campaign, he stresses, exceeds 100,000 euros. Accordingly, in the provinces, a deputy could conduct a good election campaign for a third of the money. “There is,” he says, “a significant cost difference depending on whether you are a candidate in the region or in the center.”

“In the unicameral district of Thesprotia, for example, the audience you are addressing is much smaller,” political scientist Odysseas Korakidis states to K, explaining that everything is more expensive in a large district. Initially, the basic costs rise – for example, in Athens A, the rent for a political office will be about 1,000 euros per month. “If you staffed your office even with two people, to whom you give them 500-600 euros per month for a five-six-hour working day, plus their insurance premiums, etc., you immediately go to 1300-1400 euros per month just for two , plus 500-600 euros per month for utilities, electricity, water, internet, telephones. At the same time, distances are longer in large regions, which increases the cost of gasoline – “Thesprotia has a different area, Etoloakarnania has a different one,” he says. But the biggest difference lies in the advertising.

In a larger region, campaigning requires a stronger presence and advertising on digital media such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and most recently TikTok, as well as on search engines such as Google. Fees vary depending on the medium and scale of the campaign. So Facebook charges the candidate based on the views of the promoted post, while Google charges for “clicks,” says Mr. Korakidis. “If you go to the last two months, then search engines work like a stock market – a “click” on Google can be 10 minutes earlier a year, and on election day it goes to 1 euro, that is, for everyone who enters your ad, you have to pay 1 euro,” he emphasizes, but adding that this type of advertising makes sense because you reach a more targeted audience, effectively paying those who came to “see” you.

“In Athens, the channel manager may like you and not me, but he will play with you because you are a new or old minister – in the countryside, if you don’t touch them, nobody plays you.”

He believes that for the average region, i.e. Larisa, it goes without saying that the candidate will allocate at least 5,000–10,000 euros for digital advertising during the pre-election period. In Athens and Thessaloniki, the amounts vary. “It will be strange if the minister does not give 15,000-20,000 euros for a figure or a member of parliament from SYRIZA, which is the official opposition, in my estimation, he will give at least 10,000 euros for everything related to a figure, which can be from traditional banner ads on the site before Google,” he emphasizes.

As for coverage in the traditional media – local newspapers, radio, television – the fees, as Mr. Korakidis says, are “how much they ask you.” “A newspaper in Thessaly charges a different price, another small paper in Chios.”

A communications consultant with extensive experience in national and municipal elections notes that “if someone decides to go down such roads, which not everyone goes, there will be big costs for what is not visible” – paid speeches, for example, at the local channel. Another professional in the same field claims that most of the media in the province, be it television, radio or websites, are “paid to get to you.” “It’s not like in Athens, the channel manager can love you, not me, but he will play with you because you are a new or old minister – it’s not like that in the provinces, if you don’t touch them, nobody plays you,” he says, adding that if there are three to four venues, a TV channel and radio stations in an area of ​​the province, then the amount that, mostly unofficially, a candidate spends on advertising can be as high as 30,000. “How much will you spend,” adds the same source, It also depends on competition.

Ms. Dimadama tells K that she remembers giving 10,000 euros for brochures and postcards – Mr. Korakidis emphasizes that the cost of distributing brochures is high, as it takes at least three people to distribute brochures in the area at least month. , saying that the most economical option for their exchange can reach 5000 euros. Then there are the kiosks – “if we make a kiosk in Kolonaki, we must do it in other areas, 10 kiosks from at least 1,000 euros each cost 10,000 euros,” says Mr. Flessas.

Of course, the campaign can be made more economical. With only one advertisement in the media. With a little social media advertising. There is no contact company. No big political gathering. With coffee instead of tables. With an office in a location you already have, or at a friend’s house. With volunteers for whom you still pay expenses, such as their food or coffee. But in general, despite the law that establishes a cap on the cost of preparing and running a candidate’s political campaign, depending on the respective constituency, politics is a costly business.

“By law, there is a ceiling on election spending that must be declared — of course, what is declared is a lie, because spending is often much higher than the ceiling,” Mr. Flessas says. “For me,” he adds, “being a political candidate is a rich sport.” A communications consultant who spoke to “K” on condition of anonymity claims that because the campaign is so expensive, the candidates are either rich or have invisible sponsors. “I don’t know a politician who has no funding, sponsors are ‘playing’ on the sly,” says another.

However, some types of sponsorship are legal. According to the law, the private funding of a candidate (and/or an elected representative of the Greek Parliament and the European Parliament) by the same person during one year cannot exceed a total of 5,000 euros.

Crossed Bulletins

“The candidate needs to “conduct” at least one survey,” the interlocutors of “K” called the cost of surveys from 4,000 to 8,000 euros, “hire a communications company, set tables for citizens and organize events,” says Panagiotis Papachatzis, director of strategy for the communications company 4Hats and lecturer in strategic communications at the University of Western Macedonia, emphasizing that if you add operating costs and advertising to the above, the cost starts from 30,000-40,000 euros. .

“Obviously in the districts of Attica-Thessaloniki, the amounts are in the six figures,” he says, emphasizing that a candidate can hold more than one political post, must become known to a much larger part of the voters, must print many more pamphlets, the halls for speeches of a candidate from a large there will be more regions, etc.

As Mr. Flessas emphasizes, the number one factor in the election campaign is personal contact. Ms. Dimadama tells K that in previous elections, she estimated she spent about 2,000 euros on gasoline, driving around the A constituency in Athens, moving from one event to another – “to welcome, in a word, move on to the next.” “Here is the advantage of someone who is already a minister or an MP, and already travels in a parliamentary car, has drivers and changes them, has free phones,” he says.
But spending on social commitments is related to coffee: “You have a constituency candidate and he wants to visit three villages, ten coffee shops, will you let the voter pay for his coffee? And you don’t go to the village once, you go many times,” says Mr. Papahatsis, emphasizing that in Athens you will go around the municipalities many times – before the election rallies.

There are also crossed ballots. “Many people, especially older people, ask for them,” Mr. Flessas says, adding that you also need a team to put crosses on ballots. “They say, ‘Bring it to me, make no mistake,’” says Mr. Papachatzis.