Karamanlis will form a government

The ruling center-right New Democracy (ND) party of Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis won Sunday's general elections in Greece . In a unicameral, 300-seat parliament, it will have 152 deputies, including 40 seats reserved for the winner. Yesterday Karamanlis received instructions from Greek President Karolos Papoulias to form a government. The ministers are expected to be sworn in tomorrow.

The largest opposition party, the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), won 102 seats, and its leader Georgios Papandreou admitted defeat. In the previous parliament, ND and PASOK, which replaced each other in power over the last half century, had 165 and 117 seats, respectively. Their constant mutual accusations have reduced the popularity of the two main rivals. This made it possible to increase the representation of the Communist Party and the Radical Left Union (now they have 22 and 14 seats), as well as for the first time to form a faction of ten deputies for the far-right People's Orthodox Appeal.

By initiating early elections, Karamanlis hoped to obtain a majority of 180 mandates to change the constitution in order to promote reforms that are painful for young people and pensioners. After the announcement of the voting results, the prime minister admitted that he felt a “double responsibility”: the government “should be closer to the people” and strengthen the social state.

Alexey SLOBODIN