Greek president appoints acting prime minister

Ioannis Sarmas, Chairman of the Accounts Chamber, was appointed interim prime minister to form a government that will govern Greece until the second round of general elections on June 25, after an inconclusive vote over the weekend and the refusal of political parties to form a coalition government.

Sarmas, 62, plans to form a government of scientists and technocrats with no ties to political parties, media reported.

The conservative New Democracy party of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis won with 40.1% of the vote last Sunday but did not win an absolute majority. The two subsequent parties also refused to form a coalition, insisting on a repeat vote on 25 June.

Mitsotakis believes that a second vote, which would give the leading party bonus seats, would give New Democracy the majority it needs for sole rule.

Opposition parties also hope that the second vote will boost their ratings.

On Wednesday, President Katerina Sakellaropoulou invited the leaders of all parties whose share of the vote exceeded the threshold of 3% to discuss the way forward. The invitation was procedural and short negotiations resulted in no coalition government.

According to the Greek constitution, if coalition negotiations fail, the president appoints an interim prime minister who will rule the country until a second vote.

She appointed Ioannis Sarmas, a high-ranking court official who is the chairman of the Hellenic Court of Auditors, one of the country’s three highest courts.

“It is a constitutional duty and at the same time my duty as a citizen to agree,” Sarmas said to Sakellaropoulou.

Dimitris Koutsoumbas, leader of the communist party KKE, said that a repeat election will be held on June 25.

“We are being led to an interim government, with elections on June 25, and there we will fight,” Koutsumbas told state-run ERT television.

Under the Greek electoral system, the winner of a re-vote after an inconclusive first election can receive up to 50 bonus seats for each point scored above 25%.

New Democracy would have to remain the largest party to get the bonus seats, but that seems likely, as its closest rival, SYRIZA, received only a fifth of the vote on May 21. If she wins again 40% of the vote or even slightly less, she will most likely have a clear majority.

However, the total number of seats that New Democracy will win will depend on how many other parties get into parliament.

The new parliament formed in the May 21 elections will meet next Sunday and be dissolved a day later before an interim government takes over.

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