Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has nominated Constantine Tassoulas, the current speaker of parliament, as his choice for the next President of the Hellenic Republic, Bloomberg reports.
Tassoulas, a close ally of the Prime Minister, will require parliamentary approval to assume the largely ceremonial role.
The nomination comes as Greece experiences economic resurgence following a decade-long debt crisis. The country recently witnessed robust demand for its new 10-year bond, attracting over €40 billion in offers and successfully raising €4 billion, which already covers half of its 2025 borrowing program. With an economy outpacing many of its European counterparts, Mitsotakis has pledged to maintain fiscal discipline.
Tassoulas will need to secure a two-thirds majority of the 300-seat parliament in the first round of voting, scheduled for January 25th. While the government will not collapse if the nomination fails, the process could be complex. Mitsotakis’s center-right New Democracy party holds a majority with 156 seats, while the socialist Pasok is the second-largest party with 31 lawmakers. Even with Pasok’s support, Tassoulas would still fall short of the 200 votes needed in the first ballot.
A second ballot also requires a two-thirds majority. However, a third vote would only necessitate a three-fifths majority, a threshold easily surpassed if New Democracy and Pasok unite. If the three-fifths requirement is also not met, Tassoulas could be elected with a simple majority in any subsequent rounds.
While the president’s position is largely symbolic, the office carries certain key responsibilities. The president has the authority to appoint and dismiss the Prime Minister, other ministers, and deputy ministers. Additionally, the president represents Greece on the international stage and is the titular head of the armed forces. The presidential term is for five years and can be renewed once.
In a nationally televised address, Mitsotakis praised Tassoulas’s “unifying spirit and his unifying virtues,” demonstrated during his tenure as parliament speaker amidst a challenging political landscape. Tassoulas, who was first elected as a New Democracy lawmaker in 2000, previously served as deputy defense minister and minister of culture and sports before becoming speaker in 2019.
The new president will succeed Katerina Sakellaropoulou, who made history as the first woman to hold the position.
