ATHENS: A senior judge in Greece, Ioannis Sarmas, was asked Wednesday to head an interim government tasked with organizing second national polls by late June, the presidency announced.
President Katerina Sakellaropoulou held a meeting with Sarmas at a time when the country is unable to form a government just 3 days after the national elections.
The president said that according to the constitution, the solution is the establishment of an interim government.
She mentioned that none of the 3 parties that led Sunday’s elections was willing to form a coalition government after they could not secure a majority.
Five seats short of forming government
Outgoing Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has called for fresh polls as early as 25 June after securing his party’s biggest electoral victory in years but 5 seats short of being able to form a single-party government.
Sarmas said that it was a great honour, a constitutional obligation, and his duty as a citizen to accept this responsibility.
Born on the island of Kos, Sarmas adopted a career in the courts after studying law in Athens and Paris and completing a degree in doctorate.
He will serve as prime minister until a new government is declared in the second polls.
