A new vote as soon as possible

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The conservative party Nea Dimokratia (ND) under Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis clearly won the elections on Sunday with 40.8 percent, but missed an absolute majority in the 300-strong parliament on 5 seats. The head of government does not want to form a coalition, but wants to rule alone for another four years. Nevertheless, the planned political steps must first be completed, party circles said on Monday.

Mitsotakis formally received a three-day exploratory mandate to form a government from President Ekaterini Sakellaropoulou on Monday afternoon, state television reported. “There is no possibility for a coalition. I will return the mandate today,” he said during the meeting. Instead, he will contact the leaders of the second and third largest parties and propose that they also give up their exploratory mandates so that new elections can be held as soon as possible .

According to information from the German news agency, both Alexis Tsipras of the left-wing party Syriza (20 percent) and Nikos Androulakis of the social democratic Pasok (11.5 percent) are prepared to do so. Then the new elections could take place on June 25, experts estimate on state television.

For the Left Party, but also for the New Dimokratia, a grand coalition is out of the question for ideological reasons. That would be some sort of “unthinkable and unholy alliance,” analysts say. The Social Democrats, on the other hand, are on the rise again after more than a decade (2019 – only 8.10 percent – now 11.5 percent) and do not want to come across as a kind of mainstay for the conservatives.

But even if another party were willing to form a coalition with New Democracy, Mitsotakis would not go along with it. If he also wins the new elections – as all polls predict – he can start a second four-year term on his own. The electoral law of these new elections stipulates that the first party receives a bonus of at least 20 seats.

(SDA)

Source: Blick