By Smartencyclopedia Newsroom with Agencies

Mitsotakis’ party narrowly misses the majority needed to form a government on its own, leaving the fate of the new government uncertain.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis celebrated his party’s triumph in the parliamentary elections, describing it as a “political earthquake,” even though his conservative party fell short of achieving an outright majority.

With the majority of votes counted, the ruling New Democracy party emerged with a substantial lead, capturing 40.8% of the votes, while the previous governing party, Syriza, lagged far behind with 20.1% for the 300-seat Hellenic Parliament.

However, Mitsotakis’ party failed to reach the majority required to form a government independently, leaving the fate of the new government uncertain.

Projections from Greece’s interior ministry indicate that New Democracy is projected to secure 145 seats in parliament, falling just six seats short of an absolute majority.

As per the process, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou will grant the top three parties—New Democracy, Syriza, and the Socialist PASOK—three days each, starting from Monday, to explore the possibility of forming a coalition government.

In the event that all three parties—New Democracy, Syriza, and the Socialist PASOK—fail to form a coalition government, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou will appoint a caretaker government to make preparations for new elections to be held approximately one month later.

The current numbers for potential coalitions do not add up without the participation of Mr Mitsotakis. Syriza holds 72 seats, PASOK has 41 seats, the Communist KKE party has 26 seats, and the right-wing Hellenic Solution party has 16 seats.

The KKE party has already declared its refusal to participate in any alliance, while the Hellenic Solution party has been critical of both New Democracy and Syriza.

Mr. Mitsotakis, who served as the prime minister and leader of New Democracy, had expressed his desire for a strong one-party government. However, he believes that the election results provide a clear mandate.

Speaking to supporters outside party headquarters in Athens, Mr Mitsotakis described his party’s victory as a “political earthquake.”

“The results of the ballot are decisive. They demonstrate that New Democracy has the people’s approval to govern, with strength and autonomy.”

This victory holds significant importance for Mr. Mitsotakis, considering the numerous challenges his administration faced, such as a wiretapping scandal, the Covid-19 pandemic, a cost of living crisis, and a fatal rail crash that sparked public outrage.

However, it marks a significant setback for Syriza and its leader Alexis Tsipras, who came to power in 2015 on the wave of public dissatisfaction with the handling of the debt crisis by other parties, which had severely impacted Greece’s economy for over a decade.

The MeRA25 movement, led by former Syriza finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, failed to secure any parliamentary seats.

Mr. Tsipras, who congratulated Mr. Mitsotakis on his victory, noted that the race is not over and mentioned the possibility of a second election.

“Battles have victories and losses,” he said. “The electoral cycle has not yet ended… it is very possible there will be a second election.”

Greece faced the risk of a eurozone exit during the peak of its debt crisis in 2015, which led to the country accepting a third bailout under the leadership of Mr Tsipras.

Mr Mitsotakis, who was elected in 2019, centered his campaign on improving the financial situation of the Greek people. He promised to restore wages and pensions that were reduced during the crisis.

Panos Koliastasis, an adjunct assistant professor of politics at the University of Peloponnese, attributed Mitsotakis’ victory to his focus on addressing economic concerns and his clear proposition of an autonomous government.

“He also presented a clear vision of how he would govern, emphasizing an autonomous government,” he stated.

“The alternative of a coalition government with Syriza wasn’t very feasible since other parties were unwilling to cooperate.”

Elections in Greece take place every four years to determine the makeup of the 300-seat parliament.