Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday called for another election, most possibly on June 25, after his New Democracy party managed to trump the opponents in the parliamentary elections held on Sunday, but fell short of a majority.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday called for another election, most possibly on June 25, after his New Democracy party managed to trump the opponents in the parliamentary elections held on Sunday, but fell short of a majority. With most votes counted, the conservative party had gained nearly 41 per cent of the vote share and was en route to achieving victory in at least 146 seats of the 300-seat Hellenic Parliament. The majority mark is 151 and with Mitsotakis not enthused about forging coalitions, the stage is set for another round of electoral fight. Mitsotakis made the announcement after meeting Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou earlier in the day where he was granted a three-day mandate to form a coalition government. He said that instead of forming a coalition, he will call for another general election. “I intend to return the exploratory mandate to you this afternoon so that we can hold elections, possibly even on June 25,” Mitsotakis told Sakellaropoulou on Monday, Politico reported. “There are no conditions for the formation of a government.” "The people wanted the choice of a Greece run by a majority government and by New Democracy without the help of others," Mitsotakis said in a victory speech. “The citizens want a strong government with a four-year horizon. Today’s political earthquake calls on all of us to speed up the process for a definitive government solution," he added. ALSO READ | Greece votes in general election with chaotic outcome in offing Electoral rule changes in Greece Notably, four years ago, winning over 41 per cent of the vote would have easily allowed the party to format government. However, changes in electoral rules mean that more than 45 per cent vote share is required as the winning party is no longer entitled to a 50-seat bonus in the first round. A second election will take place on July 2 and under the new laws, the winner will be given a boost of up to 50 of Parliament's 300 seats. Tsipras disappointed with the result This is the first election since the country was freed from the supervision of international lenders who had provided bailout funds over the last few years. Mitsotakis, 55, a Harvard-educated former banker was facing a stiff competitor in 48-year-old Alexis Tsipras, who heads the left-wing Syriza party and served as prime minister during some of the financial crisis’ most turbulent years. However, after the poll outcome, Tsipras described his party's performance as "extremely negative". WATCH | Greek elections: Voting begins in parliamentary polls × During the canvassing trail, Mitsotakis promised to build on his earlier work, having taken the country out of financial duress. Taking a leaf out of US President Joe Biden's book, Mitsotakis used the "Let’s finish what we started" slogan to attract the voters. Meanwhile, Tsipras used the cost of living crisis as a poll plank to woo voters by offering to increase the minimum wage and create more jobs. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Greek election: Mitsotakis calls for another poll, possibly on June 25 after failing to reach majority

Greece went to the parliamentary polls on Sunday (May 21) with 9.8 million registered voters looking to cast their votes to elect the next government. This is the first election since the country was freed from the supervision of international lenders who had provided bailout funds over the last few years.

Greece went to the parliamentary polls on Sunday (May 21) with 9.8 million registered voters looking to cast their votes to elect the next government. This is the first election since the country was freed from the supervision of international lenders who had provided bailout funds over the last few years. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, 55, a Harvard-educated former banker, and 48-year-old Alexis Tsipras, who heads the left-wing Syriza party and served as prime minister during some of the financial crisis’ most turbulent years, are the two main contenders in the fray. WATCH | Greek elections: Voting begins in parliamentary polls × Mitsotakis' ruling New Democracy party currently holds the aces with 159 seats in the 300-seat Hellenic Parliament. During the canvassing trail, Mitsotakis promised to build on his earlier work, having taken the country out of financial duress. Taking a leaf out of US President Joe Biden's book, Mitsotakis used the "Let’s finish what we started" slogan to attract the voters. He patted his own back by remarking that tax cuts delivered during his first term led to a three per cent annual growth and cut unemployment to less than eight per cent. The cost of living crisis has been one of the major poll planks with parties attempting to woo voters by offering to increase the minimum wage and create more jobs. Tsipras', particularly, has used the crisis to get the voters gravitated towards his party. A winner is highly unlikely The election, though, is highly unlikely to produce an outright winner as the political parties fail to agree to a coalition. A winner, however, is necessary, not because the country cannot afford to slip up on the economic scale anymore but also because the dispute with Turkey over maritime borders in the Aegean and the eastern Mediterranean is becoming increasingly fraught. Picture regarding the results will be cleared late in the night after a joint exit poll by six polling agencies is published. Meanwhile, opinion polls have predicted that Mitsotakis' party may sweep 35 per cent of votes, some six percentage points ahead of Tsipras’s Syriza party. Experts say 45 per cent of votes is required to clinch an outright majority. If no majority is reached, a second election will take place on July 2 and under the new electoral law, the winner will be given a boost of up to 50 of Parliament's 300 seats. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Greece votes in general election with chaotic outcome in offing

Barack Obama arrived in Greece on Tuesday on his last European tour as US&nbsp;president, and Athens said it held out hope that he will use his clout to help persuade the country&#39;s creditors to forgive some of its monumental debt.

Obama, who will be replaced in January by Donald Trump, was welcomed by Greek Defence Minister Panos Kammenos at Athens airport at the start of his two-day visit, the first by a US&nbsp;president to Greece since Bill Clinton in 1999.

&quot;Greece has gone through very challenging and dramatic times over the last several years. It has been the policy of my administration to do everything we can to work with the Greek government and the Greek people to restore growth, optimism, to alleviate hardship,&quot;&nbsp;Obama told Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos in Athens.

&quot;We are glad to see that progress is being made although we recognize that there are significant challenges ahead, and we intend to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Greek people throughout this process,&quot;&nbsp;Obama&nbsp;said.

He is expected to discuss the debt issue as well as the migrant crisis with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and President Prokopis Pavlopoulos and deliver a speech on Wednesday.

&quot;We consider this visit will contribute to the effort to reduce Greece&#39;s debt,&quot; government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos told Reuters.

&quot;The US&nbsp;president has repeatedly stated he wants to solve this huge issue before he leaves office.&quot;

Greece signed up to a third economic bailout package of up to 86 billion euros ($93 billion)in mid-2015 but says that it needs a long-term debt restructuring to emerge from the worst economic downturn for generations.

The country of 11 million people has also been caught in the crosshairs of the migrant and refugee crisis. Thousands are stranded in Greece after their onwards journey into Europe was sealed off this year as borders were shut in the Balkans.

&quot;President Obama must use his visit to shine the spotlight not only on abysmal conditions for the tens of thousands of refugees stranded in Greece, but also on the failure of world leaders to adequately address the wider global refugee crisis,&quot; Amnesty&#39;s Europe Director, John Dalhuisen, said in a statement.

Obama, who is in Athens until Wednesday afternoon, was staying at a luxury seaside resort on a peninsula south of Athens, less than 15 km (9 miles) away from a&nbsp;disused airport that is temporarily housing hundreds of migrants and refugees.

Children played outside the abandoned terminal through washing lines strung with laundry.

&quot;We want Obama to come and see us here, how we are living like prisoners,&quot; said Hatzi Naser, 42, from Afghanistan.

&quot;He is the reason we are here, because of his army&#39;s war. We want him to come and see the filth we are living in.&quot;

He is expected to discuss the debt issue as well as the migrant crisis with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and President Prokopis Pavlopoulos

Barack Obama arrived in Greece on Tuesday on his last European tour as US president, and Athens said it held out hope that he will use his clout to help persuade the country's creditors to forgive some of its monumental debt. Obama, who will be replaced in January by Donald Trump, was welcomed by Greek Defence Minister Panos Kammenos at Athens airport at the start of his two-day visit, the first by a US president to Greece since Bill Clinton in 1999. "Greece has gone through very challenging and dramatic times over the last several years. It has been the policy of my administration to do everything we can to work with the Greek government and the Greek people to restore growth, optimism, to alleviate hardship," Obama told Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos in Athens. "We are glad to see that progress is being made although we recognize that there are significant challenges ahead, and we intend to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Greek people throughout this process," Obama said. He is expected to discuss the debt issue as well as the migrant crisis with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and President Prokopis Pavlopoulos and deliver a speech on Wednesday. "We consider this visit will contribute to the effort to reduce Greece's debt," government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos told Reuters. "The US president has repeatedly stated he wants to solve this huge issue before he leaves office." Greece signed up to a third economic bailout package of up to 86 billion euros ($93 billion)in mid-2015 but says that it needs a long-term debt restructuring to emerge from the worst economic downturn for generations. The country of 11 million people has also been caught in the crosshairs of the migrant and refugee crisis. Thousands are stranded in Greece after their onwards journey into Europe was sealed off this year as borders were shut in the Balkans. "President Obama must use his visit to shine the spotlight not only on abysmal conditions for the tens of thousands of refugees stranded in Greece, but also on the failure of world leaders to adequately address the wider global refugee crisis," Amnesty's Europe Director, John Dalhuisen, said in a statement. Obama, who is in Athens until Wednesday afternoon, was staying at a luxury seaside resort on a peninsula south of Athens, less than 15 km (9 miles) away from a disused airport that is temporarily housing hundreds of migrants and refugees. Children played outside the abandoned terminal through washing lines strung with laundry. "We want Obama to come and see us here, how we are living like prisoners," said Hatzi Naser, 42, from Afghanistan. "He is the reason we are here, because of his army's war. We want him to come and see the filth we are living in."

Obama says US stands 'shoulder to shoulder' with Greece