The Greek parliament has failed to elect a new president in the first of four rounds of voting.
The conservative government’s nominee, Konstantinos Tasoulas, received 160 votes, falling 40 short of the 200 needed for an outright win.
Louka Katseli, backed by leftist SYRIZA and the New Left Party, secured 40 votes, while Tasos Giannitsis, supported by the main PASOK opposition, garnered 34 votes. Kostas Kyriakou, the far-right Niki party’s candidate, received 14 votes.
A second round of voting, where the winner will again require 200 votes to prevail, is scheduled for January 31.
If no candidate reaches the threshold, the requirement will drop to 180 votes in the third round and ultimately to 151 votes in the fourth and final round.
Tasoulas, a former House speaker and New Democracy MP, is expected to secure the presidency in the final round, given New Democracy’s majority of 156 seats in the 300-seat parliament.