Greek election results – as they happened
All the updates from Greece’s general election.
This blog is now closed; thank you for joining us. These were all the updates on Greece’s general election on Sunday, May 21.
This blog is now closed; thank you for joining us. These were all the updates on Greece’s general election on Sunday, May 21.
- Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s New Democracy party is leading the Greek election race by a wide margin, followed by the left-wing Syriza party, led by Alexis Tsipras.
- The ruling conservative party has a lead of 40 percent of the vote based on about 70 percent of the ballots counted, compared with 20 percent for Syriza.
- Sunday’s vote was held under a proportional representation system that makes it difficult for any contender to secure an outright victory, setting the stage for a second round of balloting.
- The cost-of-living crisis is the biggest issue for voters choosing 300 members of parliament.
- The polls opened at 7am local time (04:00 GMT) and closed at 7pm (16:00 GMT).
The ‘electoral cycle is not over yet’, says Tsipras
With more than 82 percent of the ballot counted, Tsipras said the “electoral cycle is not over yet”.
The next battle, he said, will be “critical and final”.
Tsipras’ Syriza party has so far garnered 20.1 percent of the vote, while rival New Democracy party is credited with 40.8 percent of the votes, a 20-point lead.
Despite a clear win for New Democracy, they are still short of reaching an outright majority.
New Democracy has the approval of the people, says Mitsotakis
In his victory speech, Mitsotakis said he had won a mandate to form a strong autonomous government.
“The ballot results are decisive. They show that New Democracy has the approval of the people to rule, strong and autonomous,” Mitsotakis said.
He also said only “strong governments” can enact the changes needed.
A ‘wide’ difference between New Democracy and Syriza
Reporting from Athens, Al Jazeera’s Stefani Dekker said Mitsotakis addressed his supporters now that 75 percent of the vote has been counted.
“We’re expecting him [Mitsotakis] to come out now that those final numbers are solidifying, 75 percent of the vote has been counted, 40 percent to New Democracy and 20 percent to Syriza, that is quite a wide difference between them,” Dekker said.
Despite early predictions, Dekker said many people she spoke to are surprised by the result, especially after a wiretapping scandal and a deadly train crash.
Mitsotakis addresses nation
Mitsotakis says his party’s election success shows that New Democracy has the people’s approval to rule as a one-party government.
Addressing the nation, he described the result as a “political earthquake” and thanked voters for backing his party.
“Greece needs a government that believes in reforms, and this cannot happen with a fragile government,” he said.
Tsipras calls Mitsotakis, congratulates him
Tsipras has called Mitsotakis to congratulate him on the ruling party’s election showing, according to local media reports.
Neither leader has publicly commented on the results yet.
No change as 70% of ballots counted
With 71.39 percent of the ballots counted, the result remains largely unchanged:
- New Democracy: 40.83 percent, 145 seats
- Syriza: 20.07 percent, 72 seats
- PASOK-KINAL: 11.82 percent, 42 seats
- KKE: 7.09 percent, 25 seats
- Hellenic Solution: 4.50 percent, 16 seats
- Rest parties not entering parliament: 15.69 percent
PASOK leader jubilant
A jubilant Nikos Androulakis, leader of the PASOK-KINAL (Panhellenic Socialist Movement-Movement for Change), has arrived at his party’s headquarters.
The socialist party is third, with about 12 percent of the vote and 43 seats.
Androulakis described the election, in which his party performed better than expected, as a “great day” for democracy.
Results with nearly 60% of ballots counted
With nearly 60 percent of the votes counted, the result is as follows:
- New Democracy: 40.87 percent, 145 seats
- Syriza: 20.09 percent, 71 seats
- PASOK-KINAL: 11.98 percent, 43 seats
- KKE: 7.03 percent, 25 seats
- Hellenic Solution: 4.49 percent, 16 seats
- Rest parties not entering parliament: 15.54 percent
New election well on the cards
Early reactions from New Democracy officials suggest that a new election is well on the cards, with June 25 now being floated as a likely date.
“It’s a huge surprise … an amazing result,” Nikos Dendias, the foreign minister in Mitsotakis’s government, told Greek public broadcaster TV ERT.
Takis Theodorikakos, a minister and a senior New Democracy official, told private TV station Skai that the result suggested that the conservatives could garner enough in a second election “to continue the reforms as an autonomous government”.
Senior Syriza official Dimitris Papadimoulis, a European Parliament vice president, told TV ERT that if confirmed, the result would be “significantly far” from the party’s goals and would mark a failure to rally opposition to the government.
I’m not very happy about the results: Student
While New Democracy party members celebrate the news, for some, like university student Petros Apostolakis, the result was unexpected.
“To be totally honest, I’m not very happy about the results New Democracy is receiving right now and that’s because as a young person, for the past few years, I’ve seen [the] New Democracy party implementing agendas that have nothing to do with the interests of my generation,” he told Al Jazeera in Athens.
“Climate change is not being faced enough by the mainstream parties, the rent and housing crisis we’re facing is not being faced enough by the parties in parliament, and other main issues are not being talked about enough.”
To Apostolakis, the opposition parties have not been able to express the “real needs” of the people, and that is why New Democracy is leading in the results.
Syriza leader at party HQs
Tsipras has also arrived at his party’s headquarters.
Supporters and party members cheered on the Syriza leader, even though the party’s showing appeared to be a major disappointment.
Mitsotakis to speak at 10pm
It turns out that Mitsotakis’s statement will now take place at about 10pm local time (19:00 GMT), according to the latest information.
Election result assessment
The interior ministry estimates New Democracy will finish first, with 41 percent of the vote and 145 seats — just short of the 151 needed for an outright majority.
Syriza is expected to finish second with a disappointing 20 percent and 71 seats.
PASOK-KINAL follows third with 11.7 percent and 43 seats, ahead of KKE at 7.2 seats and 25 seats, and Hellenic Solution at 4.5 percent and 16 seats.
New Democracy ahead by wide margin, early official results show
Early official results show a big victory for New Democracy.
With 30 percent of the votes counted, the ruling conservatives are ahead with 41.1 percent of the vote, while Syriza trails far behind at 20.1 percent.
New Democracy officials in high spirits
There is jubilation among New Democracy members as the final exit poll projects that the ruling party will gain between 37.5 percent and 41.5 percent of the vote.
“[The exit polls] show a clear victory for New Democracy and a clear renewal of the mandate to continue the major changes sought by Greek society,” said government spokesperson Akis Skertsos.
Public Order Minister Takis Theodorikakos said on Skai television, “We have said that we want to govern outright because that would ensure stability and the way forward. So we have the right to ask the Greek people for that in the next election.”
Party leader, Mitsotakis, is expected to comment on the results at about 9pm local time (18:00 GMT).
2023 projections compared with 2019 election results
In the previous election on July 7, 2019, New Democracy finished first, getting 39,85 percent (2,251,618 votes) and 158 seats.
It was followed by Syriza at 31,53 percent (1,781,057 votes) and 86 seats.
PASOK-KINAL was third with 8.10 percent (457,623 votes) and 22 seats, ahead of the Greek Communist Party, or KKE, at 5.30 percent (299,621 votes) and 15 seats.
The right-wing Hellenic Solution secured 3.70 percent (209,290 votes) and 10 seats, while the left-wing MeRA25 got 3.44 percent (194,576 votes) and nine seats.
A reminder that Sunday’s vote took place under a new electoral system which means that a repeat vote is highly likely.
Final projections for smaller parties
As for the smaller parties, these are their projected shares of the vote according to the final exit poll.
- PASOK-KINAL: between 11.5 percent and 12.5 percent
- ΚΚΕ: between 6.5 percent and 7.5 percent
- Hellenic Solution: between 4.3 percent and 5.3 percent
- MeRA25: between 2.5 percent and 3.5 percent
- Pleusi Eleftherias: between 2.5 percent and 3.5 percent
- Niki: between 2.5 percent and 3.5 percent
Final exit poll shows ruling party winning by even larger margin
The polling agencies have released the final exit poll based on the complete reading of the survey carried out at polling stations across Greece.
New Democracy is projected to do even better than the preliminary exit poll, gaining between 37.5 percent and 41.5 percent.
In contrast, Syriza’s projected share of the vote has been revised lower, between 23.5 percent and 27.5 percent.
Mitsotakis to make a statement
Mitsotakis is expected to make a statement commenting on the election results at about 9pm local time (18:00 GMT).
His ruling party is projected to finish first in the election, gaining between 36 percent and 40 percent of the vote.
Exit poll projects New Democracy to win 121-125 seats
The exit poll projects that the ruling New Democracy party will win between 121 and 125 parliamentary seats, while the main opposition party, Syriza, is projected to gain between 86 and 89 seats.
Third-placed PASOK-Kinal is projected to win about 35 seats.
A reminder that a party needs a majority of at least 151 seats out of 300 available to form a government.
If the exit poll is confirmed, Mitsotakis would either have to enter into negotiations with his rivals or opt for a second round of elections in July.
All three major parties have already said they would not work together and form a coalition government if they were to win the vote.
Results begin trickling in
Interior ministry official Michalis Stavrianoudakis has told reporters that “the voting was completed smoothly”.
He said the first results from 70 polling stations had already begun trickling in, adding that the first assessment of the election result would be at 8:30pm local time (17:30 GMT).
Tsipras to head to Syriza HQs
Tsipras is due to leave his residence in Athens to head to the Syriza headquarters, according to local media reports.
The former prime minister’s party is projected to gain between 25 percent and 29 percent of the votes, according to the joint exit poll.
Syriza ‘to wait for official results’
For their part, Syriza members quoted by local media say they will wait for the official results, stressing that exit polls have been wrong in the past.
The exit poll was based on an 80 percent reading of the survey carried out at polling stations across Greece.
New Democracy supporters celebrate
The release of the exit poll was met with celebrations by New Democracy supporters gathered at the party’s main election kiosk in central Athens.
Exit poll results match predictions: AJ correspondent
Reporting from Athens, Al Jazeera’s Stefanie Dekker says the initial exit poll is in line with what had previously been predicted.
“The exit polls can and will, of course, change as the count continues, we’ll expect to have a much clearer picture in the next couple of hours, potentially by midnight. At the moment, New Democracy, the governing party, got 36-40 percent of the vote, Syriza 25-28 percent and PASOK 9.5-12.5 percent,” Dekker said.
“[This] is pretty much what had been predicted; if this stays as it is, it does mean it is likely that there will be a run-off election on July 2.”
Whoever wins the election will have three days from tomorrow to form a coalition — if the exit poll numbers remain the same — but all three major parties have said they will not work together, Dekker added.