June 29 (UPI) — Former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Thursday that he is resigning as leader of the Syriza party after it won less than 18% of the vote and just 48 of the 300 available seats in the country’s Parliament.
The humbling defeat in Sunday’s elections left the once-powerful Syriza looking to regain momentum as a minority party in Greece. Tsipras, who has led the party since 2009, served as Greece’s first left-wing prime minister.
“I took over a small party of the left at the age of 34. The journey we took together was dangerous, full of pitfalls, but exciting,” Tsipras said. “From a small party, Syriza became the backbone of Greece’s progressive party.
“The first left-wing party in Europe to govern at historic moments for the homeland and Europe. In incredibly difficult circumstances, with society in shambles and the economy bankrupt.”
Tsipras’ opponents accused him of populism and making promises he could not keep given the politics of the day.
The election gave Kyriakos Mitsotakis his second term as prime minister and his conservative New Democracy Party with a majority of 158 seats in Parliament, meaning they would not have to partner with any coalitions.
