After three rounds of voting, the Hellenic Parliament is set to elect a new President of the Republic- Konstantinos Tasoulas- as the number of votes a candidate must garner to be declared winner of the election has dropped to 151.
As things stand, Konstantinos Tasoulas is expected to receive 160 votes, securing his election. Of these, 156 come from the New Democracy parliamentary group, including former MPs Antonis Samaras and Marios Salmas. Additionally, Tasoulas is seen receiving votes from independent MPs Haris Katsivardas, formerly of the Spartans, and Pavlos Sarakis from the Hellenic Solution party.
The results stand in stark contrast to that of outgoing President of Greece Katerina Sakellaropoulou, who was elected as 8th President of the Republic with 261 votes in early 2020. At the time, Konstantinos Tasoulas, then President of the Hellenic Parliament commented on her election characterizing it as a “unifying and meritocratic candidacy.”
The New Left Abstains and Rejects Tasoulas
MPs from the New Left, who had previously supported Louka Katseli’s candidacy, have decided to abstain from today’s round. Party sources stated that, after lengthy deliberations, their abstention serves as a “sign of disapproval towards K. Tasoulas.” The party’s leadership convened twice to resolve internal disagreements before reaching a final decision.
Giannitsis in Second Place
Thus, PASOK’s candidate, Tasos Giannitsis, is expected to finish in second place. He has so far secured 34 votes, with support coming not only from PASOK MPs but also from independents Petros Pappas, Rania Thraskia, and Burhan Baran.
No changes are expected regarding Konstantinos Kyriakou, who has been nominated by the Niki party. Apart from the party’s 10 MPs, he will also receive support from four independent MPs formerly affiliated with the Spartans.
The Konstantopoulou Enigma
Independent MPs aligned with the Democracy Movement have also decided to abstain, expressing their dissatisfaction with Tasoulas’ candidacy. Meanwhile, Zoe Konstantopoulou, leader of Plefsi Eleftherias, stated yesterday that “we will respond institutionally tomorrow,” without providing further details. When asked by journalists to elaborate, she replied succinctly, “You’ll see tomorrow.”
It is worth noting that in previous rounds of voting, MPs from the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and Hellenic Solution declared themselves “present,” a stance that is unlikely to change in this final vote.
Tasoulas Expresses Gratitude
On Wednesday morning, Konstantinos Tasoulas will be in Office 258 at Parliament. Following the conclusion of the vote, Nikitas Kaklamanis is expected to announce the result to Tasoulas, confirming his election as the 9th President of the Republic. In his statement, Tasoulas is expected to express his gratitude to Parliament for his election.
The Swearing-In Ceremony
On March 13, Katerina Sakellaropoulou’s term will officially end, and on that day, Konstantinos Tasoulas is set to be sworn in before the Hellenic Parliament as the new President of the Republic. He will assume his duties the following day.
Close associates of Konstantinos Tasoulas told To Vima that he aims to bring a fresh perspective to the presidency, steering away from the formalities of previous years. At the same time, one of his first official visits may be to Cyprus.
