Greek parliament dissolved after coalition talks failure; new elections set for June 17

ATHENS, Greece – President Karolos Papoulias has dissolved the Parliament elected on May 6 and set a new election date for June 17.

The presidential decree dissolving the Parliament and calling for a new election has been posted outside the Parliament, which convened Thursday and held just two sessions, making it the shortest in recent Greek history.

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Elections on May 6 produced a hung parliament, with the winner, conservative New Democracy, winning just 18.85 per cent of the popular vote, its lowest ever, and electing 108 deputies in the 300-seat parliament. Talks to form a coalition government failed, as two leftist parties refused to participate.

The fragmented parliament and the sharp decline in popularity for the parties that have supported the country’s bailout agreements have brought into question Greece’s continuing membership in the euro.