Mitsotakis hoping to rule solo with victory in second Greek vote

Greek Prime Minister and New Democracy Conservative party leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis speaks outside the party's headquarters, after the general election, in Athens, Greece, May 21, 2023. REUTERS/Louiza Vradi

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis declined to seek a coalition on Monday following this weekend's inconclusive election, paving the way for a second vote in June that he hopes his conservative party will win outright.

New Democracy won 40.8% of the vote versus 20.1% for the leftist Syriza, in a stunning boost for Mitsotakis, who has had to navigate a wiretapping scandal, the COVID pandemic, a cost of living crisis and a deadly rail crash that enraged the public.