Ioannis Sarmas Appointed to Replace Outgoing Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis After Inconclusive Ballot

Greece will hold fresh elections on June 25th following an inconclusive ballot last weekend, with the country now led by a caretaker government headed by a senior judge until the election is held. The outgoing Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, saw his centre-right New Democracy party triumph over the leftist opposition but failed to secure a parliamentary majority.

As the political deadlock produced by the election has been impossible to resolve, President Katerina Sakellaropoulou appointed 66-year-old Ioannis Sarmas to replace Mitsotakis. Sarmas is a father-of-two who was born on the island of Kos. He has been the presiding judge over the Hellenic court of audit since 2019 and is part of a long line of non-partisan judicial experts appointed to head caretaker governments in Greece.

Sarmas was officially informed of his nomination by the Greek President on Wednesday and he accepted. Nominated to head the interim administration from Thursday, Sarmas said, "It is a great honour, a constitutional obligation, and my duty as a citizen to accept this responsibility."

Mitsotakis, left-wing Syriza leader Aléxis Tsípras, and centre-left Pasok head Nikos Androulakis were handed mandates to form a government in the two days leading up to Sarmas’ appointment.