The Greek Parliament elected a new president of the country in the fourth and final round of voting on Wednesday. The new president will be Konstantinos Tasoulas, the former Speaker of Parliament and candidate endorsed by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Tasoulas received 160 votes during the election in the 300-seat parliament, with 276 deputies participating in the vote. In the final round, the threshold for election was a simple majority of 151 votes. Given that the ruling “New Democracy” party holds 156 seats in Parliament, Tasoulas’ victory in the fourth round was almost guaranteed.
The decision to nominate Tasoulas has sparked outrage among protesters, who held demonstrations outside Parliament last month, demanding justice for the 2023 railway disaster. They argue that during Tasoulas’ tenure as Speaker, lawmakers failed to hold anyone accountable for the deadliest railway disaster in Greece’s history.
The role of president in Greece is largely ceremonial, with limited political powers.
