Right-wing New Democracy took a strong lead over Tsipras’ left-wing Syriza party, the returns published by the Interior Ministry showed.

The turnout exceeded 60%.

After more than 90% of ballots were counted, the ruling party stood to gain 40.81% of the vote and 146 seats in the 300-seat parliament, against Syriza’s 20.06% of the vote and 71 seats.

The center-left PASOK came third with 11.58% and 41 seats, followed by the Communist Party with 7.18% and 26 seats, and the far-right Greek Solution with 4.46% and 16 seats.

With no outright majority, a repeat parliamentary vote is expected at a later date. Tsipras, a former prime minister, called Mitsotakis to propose June 25 or July 2 as tentative dates of the next vote, state-owned ERT news channel said.

Mitsotakis called the result of the vote a "big and clear victory." He said he saw the outcome as a stamp of approval for his course and a clear mandate for New Democracy to govern alone, in a hint that he would seek to secure an absolute majority in the next vote.