Kyriakos Mitsotakis wins absolute majority in Greece thanks to additional seats

The Greek Prime Minister, the conservative Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has revalidated his mandate after winning the rerun of the Greek elections. New Democracy achieved an absolute majority due to the additional seats (up to 50) that the Greek electoral system gives to the winning political party in the Greek elections. 

In a parliament of 300 MPs, New Democracy is the most represented political formation, with Mitsotakis at the head, far ahead of Alexis Tsipras' leftist Syriza party, which continues to suffer from the economic and social crisis that the Greek country suffered in the hard years of the leftist party's mandate between 2015 and 2019, beset by the harsh reforms that Greece had to face. New Democracy won 40.5% of the vote and Syriza won 17.8%, and so took the victory.

The Greek Prime Minister, the conservative Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and his New Democracy party won an absolute majority thanks to the additional seats (up to 50) that the electoral system gives to the winning force in a parliament of 300 MPs. By surpassing 40% of the votes collected, New Democracy achieved an absolute majority thanks to the additional 50 seats, giving it 158 seats out of 300 in the parliament. 

Mitsotakis already won just a month ago, but despite winning, the New Democracy leader did not achieve an absolute majority to govern alone. The Prime Minister decided not to seek a pact to take advantage of the new legislation, to repeat the elections and to ensure his own government, without coalitions, as he had done for the past four years.

Far behind New Democracy's results was the Coalition of the Radical Left (Syriza, 17.8% and 47 seats), while the historic Panhellenic Socialist Party (PASOK, 11.86%, 32 seats) came in third place. 

Mitsotakis' election message was based on continuing with economic reforms that would bring the country out of the situation it has been going through for many years and which required harsh fiscal adjustments after the major economic crisis around 2010. The subsequent difficult situation took the government of Alexis Tsipras, who came to power within the left-wing movement calling for a new profound political change against traditional policies, by storm. Kyriakos Mitsotakis has promised strong growth, which would allow for wage increases, and reform of the Greek healthcare system. 

"The Greeks have given us a resounding majority to continue on the path of the great changes our country needs. They have brought a permanent and resounding end to a cycle of toxicity that was binding our society," Mitsotakis told the Greek media after the official results of the elections were announced, according to Greek press reports. "We will continue to work to build a more prosperous Greece", added the Greek Prime Minister, who also alluded to possible pacts to continue on the path of reforms that will return the country to the path of growth and stability: "I want to seek broad consensus. Important reforms will move forward quickly". 

The big loser, Alexis Tsipras, spoke of a "historic closing of the cycle" after the electoral blow suffered by the left, although he warned of the presence of far-right parties in parliament, such as Spartans, led by Vasilis Stiga, heirs of the outlawed philo-Nazi party Golden Dawn, or Greek Solution (4.4%) and the anti-system Niki (Victory) of theologian Dimitris Natsios (3.7%).

Kyriakos Mitsotakis' victory is significant because it is the first time since the fall of the military dictatorship in 1974 that a ruling party has improved its election results and widened its lead over the opposition. It is also the first time since the outbreak of the financial crisis in 2010 that a Greek prime minister has been re-elected after a four-year term.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis was thus given the task of forming a new government in Greece on Monday. At a meeting at the Greek presidency headquarters, the country's head of state, Katerina Sakelaropulu, gave Mitsotakis the task of forming the government. The Greek Prime Minister promised to make "immediate" progress in appointing the members of the government "that will work hard" to carry out the reforms the country needs.