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16 days before the early elections on 25 January, the Greek parties are a step away from the announcement of the candidates lists. Besides being extremely short, the election campaign is marked by candidates who are changing parties literally at the last moment, which is causing turmoil in the headquarters of the parties.
 
Crisis in the relations between the coalition partners New Democracy and PASOK has provoked the blue to propose Angela Gerekou, a green MP until recently and deputy - minister, to join their lists, and she has accepted the proposal. Angry PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos determines her action as "immoral and unethical", since only a few days earlier, Gerekou had informed she would run with the party again.

However, she is far from being the most apparent hit of New Democracy. On Thursday, the party headquarters announced that it would include Vassilis Oikonomou in its lists. Until very recently, he was a member of the parliamentary group of Democratic Left that he had joined in 2012. Earlier he had left PASOK, being an independent member of parliament for a short while before the elections in 2012.

The republican list of New Democracy is almost ready. According to sources, it will be led by rector of the University of Athens Theodoros Fortsakis. It is not excluded that former MEP Nikki Tzavela from LAOS party and former German MEP George Hatzimarkakis be included in it as well.

While New Democracy is successfully joining new people, the process in SYRIZA is not taking place equally well. Neither Chrisoula Iatagana who left Independent Greeks a few months ago, nor independent and former PASOK MP Marcos Bolaris will be included in the election lists of the radical left.

At the same time, it seems that the talks with Rachel Makri have resumed although the cause for this development is not clear. She had managed to enter parliament in 2012 with the ballot of Independent Greeks but about two months ago, she was disaffiliated from the party. The initial attempt to run with SYRIZA has failed and according to publications in the Greek media, in recent days she has negotiated even with the extreme left ANTARSIA party. According to the latest unofficial information, it is almost certain that she will run with SYRIZA.

Despite the numerous internal contradictions regarding the candidacy of former PASOK MP Theodora Tzakri, she will eventually appear on SYRIZA list in Pella area.

The republican list of PASOK is led by George Floridis who has recently retired from politics after the failure of the Social Union established by him. The announcement of the local lists is also anticipated with interest, especially since many members of the regional commissions of PASOK have joined the newly established party of former Prime Minister George Papandreou.

So far, it is unclear who will lead the republican list of To Potami of journalist Stavros Theodorakis. After the announcement of the pre-election cooperation with the Drasi party, the lists involve its representatives as well. Among the candidates for deputies are Spiros Likoudis (former member of Democratic Left), Anni Podimata (former PASOK MEP), Antigone Lyberaki (former Vice-President of Drasi) and former Secretary of State Revenues Harris Teoharis.

Longstanding MPs such as Anna Diamantopoulou (PASOK), Viron Polidoras (New Democracy and later independent MP) and ReCreate Greece party of Thanos Tzimeros will not participate in the elections.

Recent polls show that SYRIZA is leading in the preferences of respondents with a rate of 2% to 5.5% whereas the percentage of undecided voters is at least 10%.

Analysts believe that the biggest advantage of the left wing is the belief of the majority of its voters that the party will not implement its pre-election promises. Under this logic, they are convinced that their votes will only punish the current government, having no other consequences. "If the campaign of New Democracy failed to question their belief things could hardly be changed. If it however succeeded to convince voters that there is no vote without consequences, then all options would be open," they say.