Government of Greece

As leader of the first party, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will be handed an official mandate to try to form a coalition government by President Katerina Sakellaropoulou.

The prime minister is expected to be received by president at 12.30 p.m. in the Presidential Palace.

Kostas A. Karamanlis, who resigned as transport minister following the tragic train collision in Tempe in February, appears to be on track for re-election as an MP in Serres, northern Greece.

According to the latest data from the Interior Ministry, with the majority of votes counted, New Democracy is leading in Serres, a five-seat constituency, with just under 47 percent of the vote.

Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias is scheduled to attend the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) of the European Union in Brussels on Monday, as confirmed by a statement from the Foreign Ministry. The meeting will address several important topics, including Russia's war on Ukraine and the situation in the Horn of Africa region.

With a voter turnout of over 60 percent, the center-right "New Democracy" took nearly 41 percent of the Greek vote. With more than 20 more than its main opponent - SYRIZA, which is losing a lot of its voters.
The leader of the left party, Alexis Tsipras, has conceded defeat:

A day after national elections failed to produce a single-party government, Greece on Monday was bracing for a new ballot which vote-winner Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' party is poised to seek in order to govern alone.

Preliminary results indicate that the conservative New Democracy of Mitsotakis has the most votes in the elections, but also that it does not have a sufficient majority to form a government on its own, Reuters reported.

Greek Prime Minister and leader of New Democracy, Kyriakos Mitsotakis (R), enters his party's offices , 21 May 2023. Photo EPA-EFE/GEORGE VITSARAS

After 77.27 per cent of the total votes were counted, Kyriakos Mitsotakis's New Democracy won 40.83 per cent of the votes, almost twice as much as Alexis Tsipras's SYRIZA, which won 20.10 per cent.

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.

Greeks were voting on Sunday for a new government in a poll likely to be inconclusive, setting the stage for either a coalition administration or new elections in about a month's time.

While opinion polls have placed the ruling conservative New Democracy party ahead, a change to the country's electoral system means it is likely to fall short of an absolute majority.

Polls in Greece closed at 7 p.m. on Sunday, and the vote count so far shows incumbent Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' conservative New Democracy enjoying a double-digit lead over its main challenger, Alexis Tsipras' leftist SYRIZA party. Stay with our live blog for the most up-to-date news and developments as results come in.