The difference between main opposition New Democracy (ND) party and ruling SYRIZA stood at 9.5 percentage points on Monday morning, hours after Greek Prime Minister and SYRIZA president announced a snap election – probably for late June – in the wake of Sunday’s major defeat in the European Parliament election.
Hard left SYRIZA candidates, and those deemed as backed by the party, in municipal and regional government elections also foundered around the country, with the exception of Crete.
With 74.91 percent of the vote tallied, ND has 33.25 of the vote, followed by SYRIZA with 23.74 percent. Third place went to the Movement for Change (KINAL) formation, the successor to once-dominant PASOK, at 7.51 percent. The Communist Party (KKE) is in fourth place with 5.53 percent, while ultra-nationalist Golden Dawn (Chryssi Avgi) drops to 4.87 percent.
Two newcomers will also send MEPs to Brussels: the first being the newly formed Elliniki Lysi (Greek or Hellenic Solution), at 4.1 percent; and Yanis Varoufakis’ Mera25 (Diem25), with 3.05 percent.
