Mitsotakis Sworn in as Greek PM After Election Victory

New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis (C) greets supporters after the announcement of the first results in the general elections, at the party's HQ in Athens, 25 June 2023. Photo EPA-EFE/ALEXANDROS VLACHOS

"We have a strong mandate and a parliamentary majority and our government will be a government of hard work and practical results," Mitsotakis said.

He said Greek democracy was mature and able to handle temporary upheavals but that the eight-party parliament had sounded the "death rattle of simple proportional representation", reported Athens Macedonia news agency.

New Democracy, ND, won the second round of parliamentary elections on Sunday by a landslide with  40.55 per cent of the vote, leaving the left-wing SYRIZA party far behind on 17.84 per cent.

SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras, after the announcement of the results, spoke about the negative result for his party and about the entry of the extreme right into the new parliament, while he also raised issues of the party's reconstruction.

"Party members will be called upon to judge us all and devise the strategy that meets these difficult circumstances. It goes without saying that in this collective creative process of reconstruction, I will be the first to put myself to the judgement of party members," he said.

After 99.69 per cent of the votes were counted and with a turnout of 52.82 per cent, the breakdown of votes and seats was as follows: ND won 40.55 per cent of the votes and 158 of the 300 seats seats; SYRIZA won 17.84 per cent and 48 seats; the centre-left PASOK won 11.86 per cent and 32 seats; the Greek Communist Party, KKE, won 7.69 per cent and 20 seats; and the far-right party Elliniki Lysi: 4.44 per cent and 11 seats.

Analysts were surprised by the entry...