Mitsotakis says Tsipras’ resignation ‘expected’ after election defeats

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the decision of Alexis Tsipras to resign from the leadership of SYRIZA was “expected” after his party’s poor showing in several election battles.

“This is an expected decision after three crushing defeats suffered by SYRIZA and himself personally,” he told journalists as he arrived for a leaders summit of the European People’s Party in Brussels on Thursday, ahead of the European Council meeting on Thursday and Friday.

Earlier on Thursday, Tsipras announced he was stepping down to allow for a “deep renewal and re-establishment” of the party. 

The decision came after the Conservatives won 40.56 percent and 158 seats in Parliament on June 25 ahead of SYRIZA, which got 17.84 percent and 47 seats, an even smaller tally compared to the May 21 election.