Party leaders agree on a second poll

A caretaker government led by a judge and with non-politicians at the crucial posts will be sworn in Thursday.

The leaders of the five parties represented in the Parliament agreed on Wednesday that no coalition cabinet was possible: In fact, none of the top three party leaders who was given a mandate to try and form a government by President Katerina Sakellaropoulou made even a cursory effort; it was understood that a second election, conducted under a different law that will favor the winner with extra seats, is inevitable.

Sakellaropoulou was obligated by the Constitution to call the five parliamentary leaders - Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of conservative New Democracy; Alexis Tsipras, of left-wing main opposition SYRIZA; Nikos Androulakis, of socialist PASOK-Movement for Change; Dimitris Koutsoumbas of the Communist Party; and Kyriakos Velopoulos of right...