Conservative party in lead but unlikely to form government outright

Supporters of New Democracy conservative party react at the party's main election kiosk after the announcement of the first exit polls, in Athens, Greece, May 21, 2023. [Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters]

Exit polls in Greece's parliamentary elections show Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' conservative party is in the lead but is unlikely to win enough seats in parliament to form a government outright.

If confirmed by official results, Mitsotakis will have to seek coalition partners to secure a majority in the 300-seat parliament. If coalition talks fail, a second election could be held in late June or early July.

Exit polls showed Mitsotakis' main rival, former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, 48, and his left-wing Syriza party, in second place. The polls projected New Democracy winning between 121 and 125 parliamentary seats, with Syriza at between 86 and 89 seats, with a total of either six or seven parties making it past the threshold of 3% of the vote to enter parliament.

Sunday's election is Greece's first since its economy ceased being under strict...

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