Exit polls in Greece’s general election indicate conservative opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis has won a comfortable victory over left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

Exit polls in Greece’s general election indicate conservative opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis has won a comfortable victory over left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

The exit polls from Sunday’s election predicted Mr Mitsotakis’s New Democracy party would win enough seats in Greece’s 300-member parliament to form a government without needing to enter a coalition with another party.

The vote is Greece’s first parliamentary election since the country emerged from three successive international bailouts and as it continues to struggle from a crippling financial crisis of nearly a decade.

The election was held three months earlier than originally planned after Mr Tsipras saw his support erode during European elections.

And it comes as the country gradually emerges from a brutal nearly decade-long financial crisis that saw unemployment and poverty levels skyrocket, and Greece’s economy slashed by a quarter.

Greece was dependent for survival until last summer on international bailouts, and had to impose deep reforms, including massive spending cuts and tax hikes, to qualify for the rescue loans.

Mr Tsipras led his small Coalition of the Radical Left, or Syriza, party to victory in 2015 elections on promises to repeal the austerity measures of Greece’s first two bailouts.

But after months of tumultuous negotiations with the country’s international creditors that saw Greece nearly crash out of the European Union’s joint currency, he was forced to change tack, signing up to a third bailout and imposing the accompanying spending cuts and tax hikes.

He also cemented a deal with neighbouring North Macedonia under which that country changed its name from Macedonia. Although praised by Western allies, the deal angered many Greeks, who consider use of the term harbours expansionist aims on the Greek province of the same name.

Mr Mitsotakis, son of a former prime minister and brother of a former foreign minister, was pledging to make Greece more business-friendly, attract foreign investment, modernise the country’s notorious bureaucracy and cut taxes. </s> Greece's ruling leftist Syriza party suffered a landslide defeat in elections yesterday, bringing an end to the government of prime minister Alexis Tsipras.

Greece's ruling leftist Syriza party suffered a landslide defeat in elections yesterday, bringing an end to the government of prime minister Alexis Tsipras.

The opposition conservatives have been returned to power, with prime minister-elect Kyriakos Mitsotakis saying he had a clear mandate for change, pledging more investments and fewer taxes.

The win appeared driven by fatigue with years of EU-enforced belt-tightening, combined with high unemployment, after the country almost crashed out of the eurozone at the height of its financial travails in 2015.

Conservative New Democracy had a commanding lead of 39.6pc of the vote - based on 73pc of the votes counted - versus 31.6pc Syriza, according to official tallies.

Exit polls showed New Democracy winning between 155 and 167 seats in the 300-member parliament, taking advantage of an electoral system which gives bonus seats to the frontrunner.

Mr Mitsotakis said in a televised address: "I am committed to fewer taxes, many investments, for good and new jobs, and growth which will bring better salaries and higher pensions in an efficient state."

Mr Tsipras said he respected the will of the Greek people.

"Today, with our head held high we accept the people's verdict," he said.

"To bring Greece to where it is today we had to take difficult decisions (with) a heavy political cost."

Mr Tsipras took over from the conservatives in 2015 as Greece was at the peak of a financial crisis that had ravaged the country since 2010.

Initially vowing to resist deeper austerity, he was forced into signing up to another bailout months after his election, a decision that went down badly with voters.

Mr Mitsotakis, who comes from a powerful political dynasty and whose late father Konstantinos was prime minister from 1990 to 1993, will be sworn into office as early as today.

The 51-year-old assumed the helm of New Democracy in 2016. Although he is seen as a liberal, his party also harbours members with more right-wing views.

Golden Dawn, an extreme right-wing party accused of having neo-Nazi sympathies, lost significant ground with early results suggesting it may not reach the 3pc threshold to gain a presence in parliament.

"The basic reason (for the result) is the economy," said analyst Theodore Couloumbis. "In the past four years, people saw no improvement. There were cutbacks in salaries and pensions."

Mr Mitsotakis will inherit an economy that is growing at a moderate clip but troubled public finances. </s> Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Why young people have suffered the most from Greece’s economic collapse

Greeks are going to the polls to elect a new parliament, with the centre-right opposition mounting a strong challenge to the leftist government.

The New Democracy party of Kyriakos Mitsotakis is hoping to end more than four years of rule by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras's Syriza party.

Mr Tsipras called snap elections soon after suffering an electoral defeat in May's European elections.

Polling stations opened at 07:00 local time (04:00 GMT).

Image copyright AFP Image caption Leader-in-waiting? Kyriakos Mitsotakis cast his vote in Athens

It is Greece's sixth election since the global financial crisis in 2008.

The crisis triggered a succession of financial bailouts, with the Greek economy shrinking by 28% between 2008 and 2016, and increasing unemployment has thrown many Greeks into poverty.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Greek bailout: Five numbers that reshaped the country

Greece exited the bailout programme in August of last year and growth has returned.

But with temperatures hitting 35C in much of the country, many politicians are concerned on the impact the weather may have on turnout, as voters stay cool at home - or head to the beach.

What are the rival parties offering?

Mr Mitsotakis is promising lower taxes, greater privatisation of public services and plans to renegotiate a deal with Greece's creditors that would allow more money to be reinvested in the country.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption New Democracy party leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis (left) and Greek PM Alexis Tsipras

Mr Tsipras, who came to power in 2015, has promised more investment and recently boosted pensions. His own investment policies would also have to be renegotiated with creditors as the country remains under eurozone supervision.

Each of the country's numerous parties needs to gain at least 3% of the vote to get into the parliament and as many as seven of them could win seats.

The winning party gets a 50-seat bonus and needs 151 seats in the 300-seat parliament to have a majority.

At the European elections, New Democracy won 33.11% of the vote against 23.78% for Syriza.

The highest percentage of 18-to-24 year olds (30.5%) at that election backed New Democracy. </s> Leader of New Democracy conservative party and winner of Greek general election Kyriakos Mitsotakis is sworn in as prime minister during a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Athens, Greece July 8, 2019. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece’s New Democracy party leader Kyrikos Mitsotakis was sworn in as prime minister on Monday after a landslide victory in snap elections on a platform of investments, lower taxes and jobs.

Mitsotakis will likely face an uphill battle squaring his promises with fiscal targets agreed with lenders. </s> Exit polls in Greece’s general election indicate conservative opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis has won a comfortable victory over left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

The exit polls from Sunday’s election predicted Mr Mitsotakis’s New Democracy party would win enough seats in Greece’s 300-member parliament to form a government without needing to enter a coalition with another party.

The vote is Greece’s first parliamentary election since the country emerged from three successive international bailouts and as it continues to struggle from a crippling financial crisis of nearly a decade.

The election was held three months earlier than originally planned after Mr Tsipras saw his support erode during European elections.

And it comes as the country gradually emerges from a brutal nearly decade-long financial crisis that saw unemployment and poverty levels skyrocket, and Greece’s economy slashed by a quarter.

Greece was dependent for survival until last summer on international bailouts, and had to impose deep reforms, including massive spending cuts and tax hikes, to qualify for the rescue loans.

Mr Tsipras led his small Coalition of the Radical Left, or Syriza, party to victory in 2015 elections on promises to repeal the austerity measures of Greece’s first two bailouts.

But after months of tumultuous negotiations with the country’s international creditors that saw Greece nearly crash out of the European Union’s joint currency, he was forced to change tack, signing up to a third bailout and imposing the accompanying spending cuts and tax hikes.

He also cemented a deal with neighbouring North Macedonia under which that country changed its name from Macedonia. Although praised by Western allies, the deal angered many Greeks, who consider use of the term harbours expansionist aims on the Greek province of the same name.

Mr Mitsotakis, son of a former prime minister and brother of a former foreign minister, was pledging to make Greece more business-friendly, attract foreign investment, modernise the country’s notorious bureaucracy and cut taxes.

Speaking after the exit polls, Greek finance minister Euclid Tsakalotos said: “This is a big win for New Democracy. People believed in their program despite it being vague.”

He told state-run ERT television that supporters of Syriza and the government led by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras “should be proud of our achievements”.

He added: “We underestimated the scale of the opposition toward Syriza.” </s> ATHENS — Greek voters turned out their leftist prime minister in elections that came after a decade of grueling economic austerity, casting their lot with a resurgent center-right New Democracy party.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras called his opponent, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, a Harvard-educated former banker and son of a former prime minister, to concede defeat.

Initial results showed that Mr. Tsipras’s Syriza party, which has ruled Greece for the past four years, had suffered a major defeat at the hands of New Democracy. </s> ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras called opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis to congratulate him on his victory in general elections on Sunday, an official of Mitsotakis party said.

The handover would take place on Monday, after Mitsotakis’s swearing in as new Prime Minister, the official said. </s> Athens: Greece's center-right New Democracy party leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis will take over as prime minister, after Sunday's election victory handed the former banker a mandate to tackle the nation's chronic woes after a decade-long financial crisis.

New Democracy won 39.7 per cent of the vote, with more than half of the ballots counted, according to the interior ministry, compared with 31.5 per cent for the Syriza party of outgoing prime minister Alexis Tsipras.

Tsipras conceded the election at a news conference in Athens and said he will hand power to Mitsotakis on Monday. The results broadly confirmed pre-election polls, although Syriza did not do as badly as some predictions. New Democracy will have a clear parliamentary majority as expected, with about 158 lawmakers in the 300-seat chamber.

Investors expect the 51-year-old Mitsotakis to prove his business-friendly reputation is deserved. The Harvard-educated former management consultant will need to make good on pledges to address issues including government finances, soured loans and crippling bureaucracy, while working within the tight fiscal constraints creditors have set for the country. </s> Greece's New Democracy party leader Kyrikos Mitsotakis was sworn in as prime minister on Monday following snap elections that saw him defeat left-wing Alexis Tsipras .

Mitsotakis' New Democracy party won 39.8% of the vote, giving him 158 seats in the 300-member parliament, a comfortable governing majority.

Tsipras' Coalition of the Radical Left, or Syriza, garnered 31.5%. The extremist right-wing Golden Dawn, Greece's third largest party during the height of the financial crisis, failed to make the 3% threshold to enter parliament.

More to come...
Winner of the general election Kyriakos Mitsotakis is sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Greece, succeeding Alexis Tsipras.