Ekaterini Sakellaropoulou first female elected to be president of the Hellenic Republic

She will succeed the current president Prokopios Pavlopoulos once his term ends on March 13, becoming the eighth president after democracy was restored in Greece in 1974, the 13th in the history of the Hellenic Republic and the first woman elected to the office of Greek president.

Sakellaropoulou, who was proposed by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, is also the first presidential candidate elected with the support of three parliamentary parties. She was elected in the first round of voting, comfortably exceeding the 200-vote minimum that represents two thirds of the 300-member parliament, as provided in the revised Constitution.

Specifically, Sakellaropoulou received 157 votes from the deputies of ruling New Democracy, 82 votes from main opposition SYRIZA and 22 votes from the deputies of Movement for Change (KINAL). A vote of 'present' was cast by the MPs of the Communist Party of Greece (15 MPs), Elliniki Lysi (10 MPs) and MeRA25 (eight MPs).

ND deputy Antonis Samaras, SYRIZA MPs Tryfon Alexiadis, Nikos Syrmalenios, Kostas Zouraris and Alexandros Meikopoulos as well as MeRA25 deputy Constantina Adamou were absent during the vote. Samaras, Alexiadis and Syrmalenios sent letters stating that they would vote in favour if they had been present while Adamou said she would abstain with a vote of 'present'. Meikopoulos and Zouraris did not sent a letter.

The new tenant of the Presidential Mansion will be sworn in at a special event in parliament after the end of Pavlopoulos' term.

Parliament President Kostas Tasoulas will go the the Council of State on Wednesday at 13:30 to officially announce the result of the vote to Sakellaropoulou.

Source: ana-mpa