New Democracy, the conservative party in Greece, is poised to win the elections on Sunday but is projected to fall short of a majority for a complete victory.
With over half of the votes counted, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis's party is leading with 41% of the vote. In contrast, the centre-left Syriza party, led by former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, is set to secure only 20% of the vote.
Despite the significant win, the center-right New Democracy may consider a second round of voting instead of forming a coalition government.
The initial exit poll, which indicated a victory for the center-right party, was met with cheers at New Democracy headquarters in Athens. As the results unfolded, it became evident that pre-election polls had underestimated the substantial gap between the two main parties.
Another notable winner in the election appears to be Pasok, the socialist rival of Syriza, which obtained 12% of the vote according to the initial results. This outcome positions Pasok as a potential influential player in coalition discussions in the upcoming days.
The center-right led by Mr. Mitsotakis has governed Greece for the past four years and can boast of nearly 6% economic growth in the country last year. His campaign emphasized that he is the trustworthy leader to guide the Greek economy forward and solidify recent progress. The majority of Greeks appear to have responded positively to this message, exceeding expectations.
However, a devastating rail disaster in February that killed 57 individuals, many of them students, overshadowed the election campaign. The episode was emphasized by opposition parties as proof of a state that is highly dysfunctional as a result of years of economic crises and inadequate investment.
Four years ago, winning 41% of the vote would have been sufficient to secure a majority in Greece's 300-seat parliament. However, the rules have changed, and now a winning party needs more than 45% to secure a majority. This shift makes a second round of voting more likely.
With their center-left adversaries, Pasok, New Democracy may be able to create a coalition government if their vote share remains consistent. This result is not assured, though. Nikos Androulakis, the leader of Pasok, would find it difficult to work with Mr. Mitsotakis because of a wiretap scandal from the previous year. According to Mr. Androulakis, the prime minister was aware that he was among the people who were the target of unlawful malware.
Despite the significant win, the center-right New Democracy may consider a second round of voting instead of forming a coalition government.
The initial exit poll, which indicated a victory for the center-right party, was met with cheers at New Democracy headquarters in Athens. As the results unfolded, it became evident that pre-election polls had underestimated the substantial gap between the two main parties.
Another notable winner in the election appears to be Pasok, the socialist rival of Syriza, which obtained 12% of the vote according to the initial results. This outcome positions Pasok as a potential influential player in coalition discussions in the upcoming days.
The center-right led by Mr. Mitsotakis has governed Greece for the past four years and can boast of nearly 6% economic growth in the country last year. His campaign emphasized that he is the trustworthy leader to guide the Greek economy forward and solidify recent progress. The majority of Greeks appear to have responded positively to this message, exceeding expectations.
However, a devastating rail disaster in February that killed 57 individuals, many of them students, overshadowed the election campaign. The episode was emphasized by opposition parties as proof of a state that is highly dysfunctional as a result of years of economic crises and inadequate investment.
Four years ago, winning 41% of the vote would have been sufficient to secure a majority in Greece's 300-seat parliament. However, the rules have changed, and now a winning party needs more than 45% to secure a majority. This shift makes a second round of voting more likely.
With their center-left adversaries, Pasok, New Democracy may be able to create a coalition government if their vote share remains consistent. This result is not assured, though. Nikos Androulakis, the leader of Pasok, would find it difficult to work with Mr. Mitsotakis because of a wiretap scandal from the previous year. According to Mr. Androulakis, the prime minister was aware that he was among the people who were the target of unlawful malware.
Given these circumstances, Mr. Mitsotakis might decide to focus his efforts on the second round of voting. This strategic move could potentially grant him an outright majority and another four years with a cabinet of his choosing.
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