Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday (June 24) thanked Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko after Russian mercenary group Wagner's chief Yevgeny Prigozhin announced that he was turning around his forces. "The President of Belarus informed the President of Russia in detail about the results of negotiations with the leadership of PMC Wagner," Lukashenko's press service said in a statement.&nbsp;

Greek voters head to a repeat election on Sunday where former prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is seeking a second term to form the government. Polling stations would open at 7 am (0400 GMT) across Greece and close 12 hours later.&nbsp;

And in India, two goods trains collided in the Indian state of West Bengal in the wee hours of Sunday, resulting in the derailment of several boogies.

Click on the headlines to read more:

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/live-russia-accuses-mercenary-chief-yevgeny-prigozhin-of-mutiny-608034">Wagner rebellion Live: Russia thanks Belarus for diffusing mutiny crisis</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2023/06/25/362027-succession-85.jpg?imwidth=1920" />

Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Saturday, thanked Belarus leader, Alexander Lukashenko, after the chief of mercenary group, Wagner, announced he was turning around his forces.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/greece-votes-in-repeat-poll-with-former-pm-seeking-second-term-608414">Greece votes in repeat poll with former PM seeking second term</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2023/06/25/362038-00033kv36y.jpg?imwidth=1920" />

Voters in Greece head to a repeat election on Sunday (June 25) where former prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is seeking a second term to form the government. Polling stations would open at 7 am&nbsp;(0400 GMT) across Greece and close 12 hours later, according to a report by the news agency Reuters. The results are expected by 1700 GMT.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-goods-trains-collide-in-west-bengals-bankura-several-bogies-derail-608422">India: Goods trains collide in West Bengal's Bankura, several bogies derail</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2023/06/25/362043-untitled-design-2023-06-25t091238215.png?imwidth=1920" />

Two goods trains collided in the Indian state of West Bengal in the wee hours of Sunday, resulting in the derailment of several boogies. The incident occurred at Onda station in Bankura district, about 150 km northwest of Kolkata.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cathay-pacific-flight-aborts-takeoff-at-hong-kong-airport-after-tyre-overheats-and-bursts-608406">Cathay Pacific flight aborts takeoff at Hong Kong airport after tyre overheats and bursts</a>

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At least 11 people were wounded on a Cathay Pacific flight at Hong Kong's international airport early on Saturday after the plane aborted takeoff due to a technical glitch, the airline said in a statement.

Watch | World's largest air show: Visitors throng Paris Air Show 2023 in large numbers

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Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday (June 24) thanked Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko after Russian mercenary group Wagner's chief Yevgeny Prigozhin announced that he was turning around his forces.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday (June 24) thanked Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko after Russian mercenary group Wagner's chief Yevgeny Prigozhin announced that he was turning around his forces. "The President of Belarus informed the President of Russia in detail about the results of negotiations with the leadership of PMC Wagner," Lukashenko's press service said in a statement. Greek voters head to a repeat election on Sunday where former prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is seeking a second term to form the government. Polling stations would open at 7 am (0400 GMT) across Greece and close 12 hours later. And in India, two goods trains collided in the Indian state of West Bengal in the wee hours of Sunday, resulting in the derailment of several boogies. Click on the headlines to read more: Wagner rebellion Live: Russia thanks Belarus for diffusing mutiny crisis Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Saturday, thanked Belarus leader, Alexander Lukashenko, after the chief of mercenary group, Wagner, announced he was turning around his forces. Greece votes in repeat poll with former PM seeking second term Voters in Greece head to a repeat election on Sunday (June 25) where former prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is seeking a second term to form the government. Polling stations would open at 7 am (0400 GMT) across Greece and close 12 hours later, according to a report by the news agency Reuters. The results are expected by 1700 GMT. India: Goods trains collide in West Bengal's Bankura, several bogies derail Two goods trains collided in the Indian state of West Bengal in the wee hours of Sunday, resulting in the derailment of several boogies. The incident occurred at Onda station in Bankura district, about 150 km northwest of Kolkata. Cathay Pacific flight aborts takeoff at Hong Kong airport after tyre overheats and bursts At least 11 people were wounded on a Cathay Pacific flight at Hong Kong's international airport early on Saturday after the plane aborted takeoff due to a technical glitch, the airline said in a statement. Watch | World's largest air show: Visitors throng Paris Air Show 2023 in large numbers ×

Morning brief: Greece votes in repeat poll, Wagner rebellion updates, and more

Voters in Greece head to a repeat election on Sunday (June 25) where former prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is seeking a second term to form the government. Polling stations would open at 7 am (0400 GMT) across Greece and close 12 hours later, according to a report by the news agency Reuters.

Voters in Greece head to a repeat election on Sunday (June 25) where former prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is seeking a second term to form the government. Polling stations would open at 7 am (0400 GMT) across Greece and close 12 hours later, according to a report by the news agency Reuters. The results are expected by 1700 GMT. Mitsotakis is projected to win comfortably, but his rival Alexis Tsipras is hoping to deprive him of an absolute majority. Mitsotakis' New Democratic party won the election on May 21, twenty points clear of Tsipras' Syriza party. However, it fell short of the majority needed to rule without forming a coalition. As election rules this time would accord up to 50 bonus seats to the winner of the vote, the New Democracy party is widely projected to emerge victorious. A report by the news agency AFP said that Mitsotakis urged supporters to turn up at the election and warned of a possibility of a third election if he failed to get a majority. "I hope we don't have to meet again in early August," he told a TV channel, adding, "All the gains we have made must be consolidated and continued." Mitsotakis, who had been serving as Greece's PM since 2019, stepped down in favour of a caretaker premier after the inconclusive vote last month, as required by the constitution. What do the opinion polls say? Opinion polls in the run-up to the election suggest that Mitsotakis would win with 40-45 per cent. If accurate, that would give him up to 50 bonus seats for the winner, facilitating the formation of a single-party government. Give Greece a stable govt: Mitsotakis On Friday, Kyriakos Mitsotakis urged voters to give Greece a stable government. “In uncertain times the country needs certain handling, it needs a government which will not be dependent on fragile majorities, which will not be dependent on lobbies, which will not be dependent on the balance of powers,” the former PM said during his final campaign rally in Athens. Mitsotakis also said he would increase the minimum wage and pensions, provide tax breaks, and improve the country’s health and education systems. Migrant shipwreck sidelines other issues in run-up to poll Sunday's election is happening in the shadow of the June 14 migrant shipwreck which killed at least 82 people, with hundreds more feared missing and unlikely to be found. Reuters reported that the disaster sidelined other issues in the run-up to the election, including a cost of living crisis, and a deadly rail crash in February. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Greece votes in repeat poll with former PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis seeking second term

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

As Greece elects its new Parliament, voting has started. 300 seats are up for election, and roughly 10 million Greeks are able to participate in the process despite the country's sharp political divisions. Voter turnout this election season, which has just begun, has been relatively muted because no clear winner is expected.

Greece Election 2023: Polling stations open for Parliamentary elections

Greece's new conservative government was sworn in on Tuesday, a day after Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis took office vowing to turn the page on a decade of economic crisis.

The 51 members of the new government swore the oath of office on the Bible in a ceremony led by the Archbishop of Athens Ieronymos, in line with Greek tradition.

That further underlined the break with the term of defeated leftist prime minister Alexis Tsipras, an atheist, who had taken the oath in a civil ceremony in 2015.

Mitsotakis, a pro-business conservative, has vowed to ditch Tsipras's proposals to separate Church and state.

Among those sworn into government on Tuesday was Finance Minister Christos Staikouras, 45, who will have a key role in Mitsotakis's pro-growth reforms.

Staïkouras stressed the need "to boost growth, attract investment while reducing the tax burden on households and businesses".

"There are questions which remain unresolved, but we will be working hard to reduce the uncertainties, to attract investors, to create jobs," the 45-year-old economist assured.

Tsipras presided over austerity policies under Greece's third international bailout as it struggled in the global financial crisis.

The US-educated Mitsotakis faces a hefty challenge as he takes over from Tsipras, who imposed austerity measures required under a bailout to keep Greece in the eurozone.

Unemployment eased during his term but remains high at 18 per cent. The country's debt level stands at more than 180 per cent of output.

The debt load is forecast to fall to 168 per cent of GDP this year, but only through the belt-tightening brought in under Tsipras's Syriza party, policies which Mitsotakis's New Democracy party says are stifling growth.

No grace period

"We don't ask for a grace period, we ask to be judged rigorously on the basis of the results of out policies," Mitsotakis said.

Reducing tax levels was one of the main promises of Mitsotakis and his team during the election campaign.

The day after Sunday's election victory, Eurogroup chief Mario Centeno urged the new Greek government to stick to reforms and strict public spending commitments, which were agreed with its eurozone creditors during a punishing decade of bailouts.

"We must keep our commitments, this is the only way I know to gain credibility," Centeno told reporters in Brussels on the day Mitsotakis was sworn in on a promise to ease up on austerity mandated by the eurozone.

The heart of the challenge is the promise made by Greece to the eurozone to deliver a budget primary surplus of 3.5 per cent for the next several years -- an extremely high bar of fiscal rectitude.

The spending target is a cornerstone of the third bailout programme that Greece formally exited in August 2018 but has committed to delivering on until 2022.

Also, still owing billions of euros in bailout loans, Greece remains under 'post-programme surveillance' by its creditors.

'Pleasant surprise'

Perceived as a reformer, and close to the business world, Mitsotakis told the French weekly L'Obs that he believes Greece will provide a "pleasant surprise" to its fellow eurozone members in the years to come.

Promising that parliament will work all summer, he said his government would put an emphasis on the digital economy and "computerise the Greek state".

Joseph Daul, head of the European parliament's biggest political grouping, the centre-right European People's Party (EPP), said that the New Democracy government, with its pragmatic programme of reforms and investments, would help create jobs and "bring prosperity" to Greece.

Mitsotakis had telephone talks with several European leaders on Tuesday, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel who invited him to Berlin nest month, according to the Greek president's team.

As is the tradition in Greece, his first foreign trip will be to Cyprus later this month.

The new government of 51 members includes 21 technocrats.

Mitsotakis himself is the son of former prime minister Constantine Mitsotakis, one of the country's longest-serving parliamentarians. His sister Dora Bakoyannis is a former minister and Athens's first female mayor.

And in a first even for a country accustomed to family links in politics, the recently-elected mayor of Athens is the incoming prime minister’s nephew.

Mitsotakis took charge of New Democracy three years ago. Following the election, his party will have a majority of 158 seats in the 300-member parliament.

New Democracy was last in power in 2014, in coalition with the Greek socialists.

Syriza's parliamentary presence will shrink from 144 seats to 86. Tsipras has promised to remain an "active" voice in opposition in defence of labour rights.

Greece's new conservative government was sworn in on Tuesday, a day after Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis took office vowing to turn the page on a decade of economic crisis.

Greece's new conservative government was sworn in on Tuesday, a day after Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis took office vowing to turn the page on a decade of economic crisis. The 51 members of the new government swore the oath of office on the Bible in a ceremony led by the Archbishop of Athens Ieronymos, in line with Greek tradition. That further underlined the break with the term of defeated leftist prime minister Alexis Tsipras, an atheist, who had taken the oath in a civil ceremony in 2015. Mitsotakis, a pro-business conservative, has vowed to ditch Tsipras's proposals to separate Church and state. Among those sworn into government on Tuesday was Finance Minister Christos Staikouras, 45, who will have a key role in Mitsotakis's pro-growth reforms. Staïkouras stressed the need "to boost growth, attract investment while reducing the tax burden on households and businesses". "There are questions which remain unresolved, but we will be working hard to reduce the uncertainties, to attract investors, to create jobs," the 45-year-old economist assured. Tsipras presided over austerity policies under Greece's third international bailout as it struggled in the global financial crisis. The US-educated Mitsotakis faces a hefty challenge as he takes over from Tsipras, who imposed austerity measures required under a bailout to keep Greece in the eurozone. Unemployment eased during his term but remains high at 18 per cent. The country's debt level stands at more than 180 per cent of output. The debt load is forecast to fall to 168 per cent of GDP this year, but only through the belt-tightening brought in under Tsipras's Syriza party, policies which Mitsotakis's New Democracy party says are stifling growth. No grace period "We don't ask for a grace period, we ask to be judged rigorously on the basis of the results of out policies," Mitsotakis said. Reducing tax levels was one of the main promises of Mitsotakis and his team during the election campaign. The day after Sunday's election victory, Eurogroup chief Mario Centeno urged the new Greek government to stick to reforms and strict public spending commitments, which were agreed with its eurozone creditors during a punishing decade of bailouts. "We must keep our commitments, this is the only way I know to gain credibility," Centeno told reporters in Brussels on the day Mitsotakis was sworn in on a promise to ease up on austerity mandated by the eurozone. The heart of the challenge is the promise made by Greece to the eurozone to deliver a budget primary surplus of 3.5 per cent for the next several years -- an extremely high bar of fiscal rectitude. The spending target is a cornerstone of the third bailout programme that Greece formally exited in August 2018 but has committed to delivering on until 2022. Also, still owing billions of euros in bailout loans, Greece remains under 'post-programme surveillance' by its creditors. 'Pleasant surprise' Perceived as a reformer, and close to the business world, Mitsotakis told the French weekly L'Obs that he believes Greece will provide a "pleasant surprise" to its fellow eurozone members in the years to come. Promising that parliament will work all summer, he said his government would put an emphasis on the digital economy and "computerise the Greek state". Joseph Daul, head of the European parliament's biggest political grouping, the centre-right European People's Party (EPP), said that the New Democracy government, with its pragmatic programme of reforms and investments, would help create jobs and "bring prosperity" to Greece. Mitsotakis had telephone talks with several European leaders on Tuesday, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel who invited him to Berlin nest month, according to the Greek president's team. As is the tradition in Greece, his first foreign trip will be to Cyprus later this month. The new government of 51 members includes 21 technocrats. Mitsotakis himself is the son of former prime minister Constantine Mitsotakis, one of the country's longest-serving parliamentarians. His sister Dora Bakoyannis is a former minister and Athens's first female mayor. And in a first even for a country accustomed to family links in politics, the recently-elected mayor of Athens is the incoming prime minister’s nephew. Mitsotakis took charge of New Democracy three years ago. Following the election, his party will have a majority of 158 seats in the 300-member parliament. New Democracy was last in power in 2014, in coalition with the Greek socialists. Syriza's parliamentary presence will shrink from 144 seats to 86. Tsipras has promised to remain an "active" voice in opposition in defence of labour rights.

Greek conservative government sworn in

Conservative opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis won Greece’s elections Sunday, delivering a stinging blow to leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. Watch full video to know more.

Greece Election: Conservatives rise to power as Tsipras concedes defeat

Greece's conservative prime minister-elect Kyriakos Mitsotakis vowed that the country would "proudly" enter a post-bailout period of "jobs, security and growth" after winning a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/five-things-to-know-about-greeces-july-7-vote-233712">landslide victory in Sunday's general election</a>.

Official results showed Mitsotakis on track to crush leftist premier Alexis Tsipras, who oversaw austerity measures after Greece's dramatic rescue by international creditors in the European debt crisis.

"A painful cycle has closed," Mitsotakis said in a televised address, adding that Greece would "proudly raise its head again" on his watch.

"I will not fail to honour your hopes," he said as early congratulation calls came from outgoing European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

With official results from 94 per cent of polling stations, New Democracy scored a crushing victory by nearly 40 per cent -- its best score in over a decade -- to 31.5 per cent for Tsipras's leftist Syriza party.

"I want to see this people prosper. I want to see the children who left to return," he later told party supporters.

Mitsotakis will be sworn in as Greece's new prime minister on Monday.

Tsipras had earlier admitted defeat after over four years in power that saw Greece emerge from its third bailout.

The 44-year-old warned that his Syriza party would "dynamically" resist efforts to scale back the party's pro-labour reforms.

If the results are confirmed, the 51-year-old Harvard graduate and former McKinsey consultant Mitsotakis will have a majority of 158 lawmakers in the 300-seat parliament. Tsipras's party will have 86 seats.

The final number will depend on how smaller parties fare. They need at least 3.0 per cent of the vote to enter parliament.

A family affair

New Democracy was last in power in 2014, in coalition with the Greek socialists.

Mitsotakis is a scion of one of Greece's top political families.

He is the son of former prime minister Constantine Mitsotakis, one of the country's longest-serving parliamentarians.&nbsp;

His sister is former minister Dora Bakoyannis, Athens's first female mayor. And new Athens mayor Costas Bakoyannis, elected in May, is his nephew.

Sunday's election was Greece's third in as many months, and the first held in midsummer since 1928.

In May, New Democracy beat Syriza by nearly 9.5 points in European parliament elections. A week later, it completed a near-sweep of Greek regions in local elections.

After that, Tsipras was forced to call an early general election. His term was scheduled to end in the autumn.

'Chance to recover'

Greece's youngest premier in more than a century, Tsipras had trailed in the polls for months amid widespread dissatisfaction over high taxes.

"Greece is exiting 10 years of crisis and the new government will have the heavy task to give a chance to the country to recover completely or to sink", 36-year-old Aphrodite told AFP, as she cast her vote in the bohemian downtown Athens neighbourhood of Exarcheia.

"I hope that from tomorrow we will be able to breathe with relief. To take a deep breath, if Mitsotakis does what he promises," added Athinodoros, a 48-year-old self-employed worker.

Tsipras has accused Mitsotakis -- who was part of a 2012-2014 crisis government -- of "disastrous" mismanagement that brought hundreds of thousands of job losses and business failures.

Mitsotakis has now pledged to create "better" jobs through growth, foreign investment and tax cuts and to "steamroll" obstacles to business.

Tsipras -- who reduced unemployment and raised the minimum wage for the first time since 2012 -- was criticised for campaigning as an anti-austerity crusader before eventually accepting a third EU bailout and the economic cutbacks that entailed.

In parts of the country, there was also a backlash against a controversial agreement with North Macedonia that ended a bitter 27-year dispute over the country's name.

New parties

The new smaller parties fighting to secure representation are Greek Solution, a nationalist party formed by TV salesman Kyriakos Velopoulos, and MeRA25, an anti-austerity party founded by maverick economist and former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis.

According to the exit polls, Varoufakis's party could elect nine lawmakers.

Greek Solution could end up with 10 deputies, while neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn looks likely to be shut out of parliament for the first time since 2012.

Golden Dawn, until recently Greece's third-ranking party, is in steep decline amid an ongoing trial for the 2013 murder of an anti-fascist rapper, allegedly carried out with the knowledge of senior Golden Dawn members.

Mitsotakis has promised to hit the ground running. A Eurogroup finance meeting on Monday will convene to discuss the state of Greece's economy after tax cuts rolled out by Tsipras in May.

Greece's conservative prime minister-elect Kyriakos Mitsotakis vowed that the country would "proudly" enter a post-bailout period of "jobs, security and growth" after winning a landslide victory in Sunday's general election.

Greece's conservative prime minister-elect Kyriakos Mitsotakis vowed that the country would "proudly" enter a post-bailout period of "jobs, security and growth" after winning a landslide victory in Sunday's general election. Official results showed Mitsotakis on track to crush leftist premier Alexis Tsipras, who oversaw austerity measures after Greece's dramatic rescue by international creditors in the European debt crisis. "A painful cycle has closed," Mitsotakis said in a televised address, adding that Greece would "proudly raise its head again" on his watch. "I will not fail to honour your hopes," he said as early congratulation calls came from outgoing European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. With official results from 94 per cent of polling stations, New Democracy scored a crushing victory by nearly 40 per cent -- its best score in over a decade -- to 31.5 per cent for Tsipras's leftist Syriza party. "I want to see this people prosper. I want to see the children who left to return," he later told party supporters. Mitsotakis will be sworn in as Greece's new prime minister on Monday. Tsipras had earlier admitted defeat after over four years in power that saw Greece emerge from its third bailout. The 44-year-old warned that his Syriza party would "dynamically" resist efforts to scale back the party's pro-labour reforms. If the results are confirmed, the 51-year-old Harvard graduate and former McKinsey consultant Mitsotakis will have a majority of 158 lawmakers in the 300-seat parliament. Tsipras's party will have 86 seats. The final number will depend on how smaller parties fare. They need at least 3.0 per cent of the vote to enter parliament. A family affair New Democracy was last in power in 2014, in coalition with the Greek socialists. Mitsotakis is a scion of one of Greece's top political families. He is the son of former prime minister Constantine Mitsotakis, one of the country's longest-serving parliamentarians. His sister is former minister Dora Bakoyannis, Athens's first female mayor. And new Athens mayor Costas Bakoyannis, elected in May, is his nephew. Sunday's election was Greece's third in as many months, and the first held in midsummer since 1928. In May, New Democracy beat Syriza by nearly 9.5 points in European parliament elections. A week later, it completed a near-sweep of Greek regions in local elections. After that, Tsipras was forced to call an early general election. His term was scheduled to end in the autumn. 'Chance to recover' Greece's youngest premier in more than a century, Tsipras had trailed in the polls for months amid widespread dissatisfaction over high taxes. "Greece is exiting 10 years of crisis and the new government will have the heavy task to give a chance to the country to recover completely or to sink", 36-year-old Aphrodite told AFP, as she cast her vote in the bohemian downtown Athens neighbourhood of Exarcheia. "I hope that from tomorrow we will be able to breathe with relief. To take a deep breath, if Mitsotakis does what he promises," added Athinodoros, a 48-year-old self-employed worker. Tsipras has accused Mitsotakis -- who was part of a 2012-2014 crisis government -- of "disastrous" mismanagement that brought hundreds of thousands of job losses and business failures. Mitsotakis has now pledged to create "better" jobs through growth, foreign investment and tax cuts and to "steamroll" obstacles to business. Tsipras -- who reduced unemployment and raised the minimum wage for the first time since 2012 -- was criticised for campaigning as an anti-austerity crusader before eventually accepting a third EU bailout and the economic cutbacks that entailed. In parts of the country, there was also a backlash against a controversial agreement with North Macedonia that ended a bitter 27-year dispute over the country's name. New parties The new smaller parties fighting to secure representation are Greek Solution, a nationalist party formed by TV salesman Kyriakos Velopoulos, and MeRA25, an anti-austerity party founded by maverick economist and former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis. According to the exit polls, Varoufakis's party could elect nine lawmakers. Greek Solution could end up with 10 deputies, while neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn looks likely to be shut out of parliament for the first time since 2012. Golden Dawn, until recently Greece's third-ranking party, is in steep decline amid an ongoing trial for the 2013 murder of an anti-fascist rapper, allegedly carried out with the knowledge of senior Golden Dawn members. Mitsotakis has promised to hit the ground running. A Eurogroup finance meeting on Monday will convene to discuss the state of Greece's economy after tax cuts rolled out by Tsipras in May.

Greece polls: Opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis wins, vows to make country 'proud'

Greece's opposition conservatives were on track to return to power by a landslide on Sunday, exit polls suggested, unseating incumbent leftists blamed for pushing the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/polls-open-in-greeces-first-post-bailout-general-election-233710">crisis-hit country further into debt</a>.

Two exit polls gave conservative New Democracy a commanding led of between 38 and 42 per cent of the vote, suggesting an outright majority in Greece's parliament.

One of the exit polls showed New Democracy, led by opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis, winning between 155 and 167 seats in the 300 member parliament. If verified, it would be the widest margin of victory for a Greek party since 1981.

"Greece has signalled to Europe that it is time to put populism behind us," said Anna Michelle Asimakopoulou, a senior lawmaker with New Democracy.

One official of ruling Syriza, Panos Skourletis, appeared to concede defeat, saying the gap shown in the exit polls was unlikely to be overturned.

"We have a clear victory for New Democracy. We will wait to see how they will utilize it," Panos Skourletis told state TV.

Sunday's poll was the first national election since the country shook off close scrutiny by its European partners who loaned Greece billions in three bailouts.

Incumbent Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras signed up to the latest, in 2015, in return for potential debt relief.

Snap election

"The basic reason (for the result) is the economy," said analyst Theodore Couloumbis. "In the past 4.5 years people saw no improvement, on the contrary, there were cutbacks in salaries and pensions," he said.

The snap election was called after Syriza suffered a defeat in European elections in May.

Greece endured a debilitating financial crisis from 2010 that required three cash lifelines from its eurozone partners.

"I want the government that will be elected to do its best for the people, who are hungry," said pensioner Christos Mpekos, 69. "To give jobs to the young so they don't leave."

Tsipras says that a vote cast for Mitsotakis would go to the political establishment, which forced Greece to the edge of the precipice in the first place.

But he has also been roundly criticised for mismanagement of crises and for brokering a deeply unpopular deal to end a dispute over the name of neighbouring North Macedonia.

Greece wrapped up its last economic adjustment programme in 2018 but remains under surveillance from lenders to ensure no future fiscal slippage. While economic growth has returned, Greek unemployment of 18 per cent is the euro zone's highest.

New Democracy has promised to invest in creating well-paid jobs with decent benefits. It has also promised to be tough on crime in some neighbourhoods of Athens where there is a strong anarchist movement.

In one neighbourhood, activists stormed a polling station and made off with a ballot box.

Greece's opposition conservatives were on track to return to power by a landslide on Sunday, exit polls suggested, unseating incumbent leftists blamed for pushing the crisis-hit country further into debt.

Greece's opposition conservatives were on track to return to power by a landslide on Sunday, exit polls suggested, unseating incumbent leftists blamed for pushing the crisis-hit country further into debt. Two exit polls gave conservative New Democracy a commanding led of between 38 and 42 per cent of the vote, suggesting an outright majority in Greece's parliament. One of the exit polls showed New Democracy, led by opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis, winning between 155 and 167 seats in the 300 member parliament. If verified, it would be the widest margin of victory for a Greek party since 1981. "Greece has signalled to Europe that it is time to put populism behind us," said Anna Michelle Asimakopoulou, a senior lawmaker with New Democracy. One official of ruling Syriza, Panos Skourletis, appeared to concede defeat, saying the gap shown in the exit polls was unlikely to be overturned. "We have a clear victory for New Democracy. We will wait to see how they will utilize it," Panos Skourletis told state TV. Sunday's poll was the first national election since the country shook off close scrutiny by its European partners who loaned Greece billions in three bailouts. Incumbent Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras signed up to the latest, in 2015, in return for potential debt relief. Snap election "The basic reason (for the result) is the economy," said analyst Theodore Couloumbis. "In the past 4.5 years people saw no improvement, on the contrary, there were cutbacks in salaries and pensions," he said. The snap election was called after Syriza suffered a defeat in European elections in May. Greece endured a debilitating financial crisis from 2010 that required three cash lifelines from its eurozone partners. "I want the government that will be elected to do its best for the people, who are hungry," said pensioner Christos Mpekos, 69. "To give jobs to the young so they don't leave." Tsipras says that a vote cast for Mitsotakis would go to the political establishment, which forced Greece to the edge of the precipice in the first place. But he has also been roundly criticised for mismanagement of crises and for brokering a deeply unpopular deal to end a dispute over the name of neighbouring North Macedonia. Greece wrapped up its last economic adjustment programme in 2018 but remains under surveillance from lenders to ensure no future fiscal slippage. While economic growth has returned, Greek unemployment of 18 per cent is the euro zone's highest. New Democracy has promised to invest in creating well-paid jobs with decent benefits. It has also promised to be tough on crime in some neighbourhoods of Athens where there is a strong anarchist movement. In one neighbourhood, activists stormed a polling station and made off with a ballot box.

Greece's opposition conservatives on track to return to power by a landslide

Opinion polls show PM Alexis Tsipras losing. Opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis in the lead. Polls contested on back of economics. Watch this video to know more.

Greece: Voting in Parliamentary election begins

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