Greek Left Licks its Wounds After Conservative Election Victory

Greek Prime Minister and New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis greets supporters after announcing the first results of the Greek elections at the party's HQ in Athens, 21 May 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE/GEORGE VITSARAS

The elections were held under a simple proportional system, whereby the first party must win 151 seats to form a government. ND's leader, PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis, announced on Sunday that he will go to a second round of elections, seeking an absolute majority. According to the media, this will likely be held on June 25.

"I will return the mandate this afternoon," Mitsotakis told Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou on Monday as he was given the mandate to form a coalition government.

According to the Constitution, Sakellaropoulou must then give a mandate to the second party, SYRIZA, which, given its poor results, will likely find it difficult to form a coalition government, as would third-placed PASOK.

While the left-wing PASOK party emerged strengthened on Sunday, the party of the former left-wing Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, MERA 25, failed to cross the threshold to enter parliament. The far-right Elliniki Lysi party entered parliament after winning 4.45 per cent of the votes.

After 99.67 per cent of the votes were counted and with a turnout of 60.92 per cent, the breakdown of votes and seats was as follows: ND: 40.79 per cent and 146 seats, SYRIZA: 20.07 per cent and 71 seats, PASOK: 11.46 per cent and 41 seats, Greek Communist Party, KKE: 7.23 per cent and 26 seats, Elliniki Lysi: 4.45 per cent and 16 seats.

The ND won in 58 out of 59 electoral districts, and in 54 districts the difference is double digits. Only in the prefecture of Rodopi, on the Greek-Bulgarian border, was SYRIZA ahead of ND by 6.14 per...