National elections to be held in Greece on July 7

Greece is heading for national elections, which will now be held on Sunday, July 7, 2019.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras called for snap elections after SYRIZA’s defeat in the Europarliament Elections over the weekend and initially mentioned Greece heading to the polls on June 30, however, the government has now decided July 7, as they took into account the Pan-Hellenic Exams.

According to reports, Tsipras spoke with Education Minister Kostas Gavroglou who recommended Sunday, July 7, as the day of national elections, as the Pan-Hellenic exams end on July 2.

“SYRIZA lost a battle but the war still lies ahead,” Tsipras said on Monday, addressing the Central Committee meeting following the sweeping losses experienced in Sunday's Europarliament, regional and local elections.

Thanking the voters who supported him, Tsipras said he had received the message of the Europarliament elections, where his party received 23.79 percent of the vote behind main opposition New Democracy's 33.19 percent.

"We lost the battle, but the war still lies ahead," he said, "and we have neither the luxury nor the right to back down."

"I know the struggle we are facing will be difficult, but it is one that can be won," the premier said referring to national elections expected by July, and he called on party cadres to "get up together, re-form and fight."

Criticising other parties for their Europarliament election stance, the PM accused Movement for Change (KINAL) for its "full frontal attack against Syriza" and issued what he called a "democratic invitation to all progressive and democratic citizens" to vote for Syriza.