STORY: Greece’s ruling New Democracy party claimed victory in the country’s parliamentary election on Sunday, but fell just short of an absolute majority to form a government on its own.
In Athens, Greek Prime Minister and New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis called the vote “decisive.”
The result was a stunning boost for Mitsotakis, who is seeking a second term and has had to contend with a wiretapping scandal, a cost of living crisis and a deadly rail crash in February that triggered public outrage.
Sunday’s vote was a blow to opposition leader Alexis Tsipras, the country’s former prime minister, who called the result “particularly negative” for his Syriza party and said he contacted Mitsotakis to congratulate him on his victory.
On Monday, Greece’s president will give the three main parties three days each to form a coalition government.
If they all fail, the president will appoint a caretaker government to prepare new elections about a month later.
