Greek election: Mitsotakis celebrates big win but wants majority, second election hinted

Kyriakos Mitsotakis has emerged victorious in the national elections, with a significant win for his party, which he described as a “political earthquake.” Mitsotakis, the conservative PM, saw his centre-right party, New Democracy, secure nearly 41% of the vote, just five seats short of a majority. 

Mitsotakis believes the outcome is the Greek people giving his government a mandate for a four-year government, led solely by New Democracy, without the need for coalition partners. With 146 seats won, just shy of the 151 required for a majority, Mitsotakis indicated that he would not seek power-sharing with another party. Instead, it appears there could be a second election in late June, where the winning party would gain additional bonus seats. 

Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou will extend a coalition-forming mandate to Mitsotakis, but it is likely he will decline. If subsequent attempts to form a coalition fail, President Sakellaropoulou will arrange for a caretaker government until new elections take place.