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Mitsotakis proposes MP from his own party as Greece’s next President

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Wednesday morning the conservative Parliament Speaker Constantinos Tassoulas as the government-backed candidate for President of the Hellenic Republic.

It is the first time, a Premier picks up an active MP to be President.

The PM’s proposal does not hinder other political parties to nominate their own candidate to join the race. Already SYRIZA and PASOK have stated that they do not agree with the PM’s choise and that they will appoint their own candidates.

Voting Procedure

The voting procedure extends up to four rounds: 200 votes are needed in the first and second rounds, 180 in the third and 151 – absolute majority in a Parliament of 300 – in the fourth.

Analysts predict that Tasoulas has to wait until the fourth round, if no candidates from other parties will come up with a surprise. ruling New Democracy has 157 seats in the parliament.

Voting in the Parliament to elect the next President of the Republic is scheduled to start on January 25. A break of 5 days is essential between the voting rounds.

Tasoulas has first to resign as Parliament Speaker and the MPs will vote for the next one. This will be also a first test for the possibilities of consent among the political powers in the Greek landscape.

It should be recalled that if the Parliament fails to elect a President, the country is led to snap elections.

Also worth noting that in his televised proposal, Mitsotakis also announced that there should be a Constitutional change to limit the term of the President to one 5-year term and not up to two as until now.

The term of current President, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, ends on March 25, 2025.

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