Progressive Alliance

Konstantinos Tasoulas was re-elected as President of the Parliament with 249 votes on Tuesday.

Tasoulas received the votes of New Democracy, SYRIZA, PASOK-KINAL and Greek Solution lawmakers. The 59 MPs from the other opposition parties abstained.

Greece's new Parliament was sworn in on Monday, following the general elections held on June 25. The ceremony took place in the presence of Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou.

Following the religious oath, Muslim members of Parliament swore on the Quran, while those who preferred to do so, took the political oath.

Center-left PASOK has every reason to celebrate Sunday's result as it has increased its share of the vote by 50 percent over two election cycles.

The sense of elation was not least felt by its leader Nikos Androulakis, who has strengthened his hand.

New Democracy, SYRIZA and PASOK closed the election race on Friday with different goals in view of Sunday's ballot.

For conservative ND, the main goal is to secure a comfortable outright majority in the region of 158 seats. It believes that the votes of young people and voters who live in areas other than their constituencies are key to achieving this.

PASOK-Movement for Change (KINAL) leader Nikos Androulakis interprets the result of the May 21 election, which gave the conservatives a 20-percentage point lead over the main opposition, as a failure of SYRIZA and categorically dismisses any possibility of cooperation with New Democracy, even if the latter does not secure an outright majority.

Romania's new Prime Minister has worked his way up from a low-ranking post in the Social Democrats to the top, while shrugging off various controversies and scandals on the way.

Electoral campaign billboards in Montenegrin capital Podgorica. Photo: BIRN/Samir Kajosevic

Since then the small Adriatic country has endured almost constant political turbulence and two governments have been ousted.

Podgorica-based University professor Predrag Zenovic said there are expectations that the elections could herald an end to the turmoil.

PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis emphasized again on Thursday that the party is not interested in forming a coalition with ruling New Democracy, "even if two or three seats are needed to form a government." 

A meeting of political party leaders convened by President Katerina Sakellaropoulou in a final attempt to form a coalition government after Sunday's inconclusive elections proved unsuccessful on Wednesday.

The good news is that a public discussion has started on how much the measures and benefits being announced by the political parties if they win the elections are going to cost. That said, the discussion tends to be limited to the old question: Where will the money come from?