Greece Is Electing President: First Round Fails to Determine Winner, There Will Be Second

The Greek parliament failed to elect a president during the vote on Saturday. This was reported by Reuters.  

To win, the candidate had to secure the support of two-thirds of the 300 seats in the parliament.  

According to Bloomberg, Parliament Speaker Konstantinos Tasoulas, nominated by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, received only 160 votes. This result was predictable, as many opposition parties nominated their own candidates and said they would not support Tasoulas.  

The second round of voting is scheduled for January 31, but experts predict that it will be inconclusive. In the third round, a candidate will need at least 180 votes to win, and in the fourth round - 151.  

The center-right New Democracy party, to which Mitsotakis belongs, said that all 156 of its members would support Tasoulas.  

As a reminder, on January 15, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis officially nominated Parliament Speaker Konstantinos Tasoulas for the presidency.