Conservative party of Greece’s prime minister in big election lead

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, whose conservative party won a landslide election victory Sunday but without enough parliamentary seats to form a government, indicated he will seek a second election hoping to consolidate his victory without need of a coalition partner.

Mitsotakis’ New Democracy party was a full 20 percentage points ahead of its main rival, the left-wing Syriza party, with nearly 90% of the votes counted. But due to the current electoral system of proportional representation, his 40% vote share was still not enough to secure a majority of the 300 seats in parliament, meaning he would either have to seek a coalition partner from a smaller party, or head to a second election.

“From tomorrow, I will follow all constitutional procedures, but maintaining my firm view that the mathematics of proportional representation is akin to party horse-trading and results in a dead-end,” Mitsotakis said. “Without a doubt, the political earthquake that occurred today calls on us all to speed up the process for a definitive government solution so our country can have an experienced hand at its helm as soon as possible.”

A new vote, likely in late June or early July, will be held with a new electoral law which gives bonus seats to the winning party, making it easier for it to form a government on its own.

Sunday’s election was Greece’s first since its economy ceased being under strict supervision by international lenders who had provided bailout funds during the country’s nearly decade-long financial crisis.

(AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris) People cast their vote at polling station in Athens, Greece, Sunday, May 21, 2023. Greeks are voting in the first parliamentary election since their country’s economy ceased to be subject to strict supervision and control by international lenders who had provided bailout funds during its nearly decade-long financial crisis.