Greece’s center-right leader, Kyriakos Mitsotakis was formally sworn in as prime minister on Monday. He won second term with a historic margin over the left-wing opposition. The election also saw the entrance of new far-right parties into Parliament.
With 99.70% of the vote counted, Mitsotakis’ New Democracy party secured 40.55% of the vote. More than twice the share of the main opposition Syriza party, which received 17.84%. This victory marked the largest margin in half a century. It expanded New Democracy’s lead by 20 percentage points from the previous election held five weeks earlier.
Following the formal handover of the mandate to govern by Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Mitsotakis, 55, was sworn in as prime minister. Later on Monday, he was expected to announce his new cabinet, which would assume its duties on Tuesday.
Mitsotakis promised reforms
“My aim was to secure a stable government with a parliamentary majority. Unfortunately, two elections were needed for that,” Mitsotakis stated during a televised meeting with President Sakellaropoulou. Emphasizing his commitment to implementing significant and necessary reforms over the next four years. He expressed confidence in having a strong mandate to carry out these reforms.
During their meeting, Mitsotakis and Sakellaropoulou discussed the unexpected entrance of marginal parties into Parliament. Which increased the number of represented parties from five to eight. Mitsotakis, however, expressed faith in the maturity of Greek democracy to handle any temporary turbulence that might arise.
The election took place under a new electoral law that benefits the leading party. As a result, New Democracy secured a comfortable majority of 158 seats in the 300-member Parliament. While Syriza obtained 48 seats. In the previous May election, Mitsotakis had failed to secure a majority due to the one-off electoral system in place, which prompted the need for the new vote.
The left failed to win majority
The center-left PASOK party secured 32 seats, while the Communist Party, rooted in Stalinism, won 20 seats.
The remaining 42 seats in Parliament will be shared among three far-right parties, including one endorsed by a former high-ranking official from a defunct Nazi-inspired party, as well as another party representing the far-left.
