Greek MPs fail to elect president in 2nd round

ATHENS

The Greek government’s nominee for the presidency failed to secure the required majority in the second round of voting on Jan. 31, setting up a decisive third round next week.

Konstantinos Tasoulas, a former parliamentary speaker nominated by the center-right New Democracy party, received 160 votes from lawmakers — 40 short of the 200 votes needed for an outright win.

Louka Katseli, 72, an economist and politician backed by the leftist SYRIZA and New Left Party, secured 40 votes, while Tasos Giannitsis, 80, a veteran politician supported by the main opposition party PASOK, garnered 34 votes.

A third round of voting is scheduled for Feb. 6, where the threshold for victory drops to 180 votes.

If no candidate reaches the threshold, the requirement will drop to 151 votes in the fourth and final round, five days later.

Tasoulas is expected to secure the presidency in the final round, given New Democracy’s majority of 156 seats in the 300-seat parliament.

In Greece, the president holds a largely ceremonial role, while the prime minister remains the country’s leading political figure.