Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has conceded defeat in the country’s general election as conservative opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis secured a comfortable parliamentary majority.
With more than 90% of votes counted, Mr Mitsotakis’s New Democracy party had 39.8% of the vote compared to 31.5% by Mr Tsipras’s Syriza party.
In a speech from central Athens on Sunday night, Mr Tsipras said: “The citizens have made their choice. We fully respect the popular vote.”
It is Greece’s first parliamentary election since emerging from three successive international bailouts as it continues to struggle with a crippling nearly decade-long financial crisis.
Opinion polls had suggested Greeks were set to defy the recent European trend of increasing support for populist parties, with Mr Mitsotakis the clear favourite to win.
His centre-right party also won in the European elections in May, promising austerity-worn Greeks tax relief, stronger growth and a pro-investments stance.
In his victory speech, Mr Mitsotakis said: “From today, a difficult but beautiful fight begins.”
Mr Tsipras has clashed with the country’s official lenders and brought Greece to the brink of a euro exit in his fight to undo austerity.
Greece is gradually emerging from its brutal financial crisis that saw unemployment and poverty levels skyrocket, and the country’s economy slashed by a quarter.
