Greece appoints judge as interim prime minister ahead of new elections
Senior Justice Ioannis Sarmas has been named Greece’s interim prime minister after a general election failed to form a new government
From left to right, leader of Progressive Alliance SYRIZA Alexis Tsipras, leader of Greek Solution Kyriakos Velopoulos, leader of New Democracy Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Secretary General of the Communist Party of Greece Dimitris Koutsoubas and leader of PASOK-Movement for Change (KINAL) Nikos Androulakis, leave the presidential palace after a their meeting in Athens, Wednesday, May 24, 2023. After the leaders of the three main parties in the May 21 elections returned the mandate to form a government, saying that there was no prospect of a coalition forming, President Katerina Sakellaropoulou invited them for a formal meeting on Wednesday to see if they can agree on a caretaker government pending new elections. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
The Associated Press
Athens, Greece — Senior Justice Ioannis Sarmas was named Greece’s interim prime minister on Wednesday after a general election failed to form a new government.
Sarmas, 66, will be sworn in on Thursday and lead a caretaker government until a new election next month, government officials said. The vote is expected to take place on June 25, but has not been officially confirmed.
His nomination was announced after Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ conservative New Democracy party won a landslide victory in the general election on Sunday, beating left-wing opponents by 20 percentage points but short of a parliamentary majority.
Next month’s election will be held under a different system that strengthens the winning party.
Mitsotakis and leaders of four other political parties represented in parliament held a joint meeting with President Katerina Sakellaropoulou on Wednesday to discuss modalities for the upcoming elections.
ABC News
