Kyriakos Mitsotakis

The leader of the centre-left opposition party PASOK-Movement for Change, Nikos Androulakis, initiated on Wednesday the process for his resignation as a member of the European Parliament, in order to run in Greece's upcoming elections.

The move came after Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced  that the elections will be held on May 21.

Greece raised 2.5 billion euros ($2.7 billion) on Wednesday with strong demand for a new 5-year bond, the day after Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called elections in late May.

Traders said Greece's debt agency was aiming to cover most of the annual borrowing needs before the country entered to a protracted pre-election period.

The procurement of Israeli-made Spike-NLOS missile systems for the needs of the Armed Forces was approved at Wednesday's regular meeting of the Council for Foreign Affairs and Defense (KYSEA), chaired by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Archbishop Elpidophoros of America will represent the Greek-American community at the White House's celebration of Greek Independence Day.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced at a cabinet meeting Tuesday that the next election will take place on May 21.

The announcement had been expected; initially, the government was planning on an April date, before the deadly train crash on February 28 upended the plans.

Greece's proposal for strengthening European energy corridors was supported by the European Commission and 14 member-states, Greek Environment and Energy Minister Kostas Skrekas said on Tuesday.

Nikos Androulakis has caused a stir by stating that PASOK will not agree to support a government headed by conservative incumbent Kyriakos Mitsotakis or leftist opposition chief Alexis Tsipras in the event of an inconclusive election.

Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Brussels, March 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE/STEPHANIE LECOCQ

In his introductory statement to his cabinet, Mitsotakis reviewed his tenure, recalling all the issues his government had to deal with - the pandemic, issues with neighbour Turkey in the Aegean, the energy crisis, the the war in Ukraine, and a series of natural disasters.

Greece will hold a parliamentary election in May, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Tuesday, with the country gearing up for a vote which is unlikely to produce an outright winner immediately.

The conservative leader, whose term ends officially in July, said a national election will be held on May 21.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has called parliamentary elections for May 21, saying he wanted a clean slate to push through further reforms after four years at the helm.