<p>Athens: Greece's Parliament elected its former speaker, Constantine Tassoulas, as the country's President on Wednesday, approving the conservative government's nominee for the largely ceremonial role.</p><p>The decision to nominate him has angered protesters who rallied outside Parliament last month seeking justice over a deadly 2023 train crash. They say that on Tassoulas' watch as parliamentary speaker, lawmakers failed to investigate any political responsibility over Greece's worst rail disaster.</p><p>Two years later, a judicial probe is still in progress. Parliament is the only body that can investigate politicians under Greek law.</p><p>Tassoulas, 66, a lawyer and father of two who has been a lawmaker since 2000 and has previously served as Greece's culture minister and deputy defence minister, won the backing of 160 lawmakers in Wednesday's vote in the 300-seat parliament.</p><p>He will succeed Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Greece's first female president, whose five-year term expires in March.</p><p>Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said last month that he chose Tassoulas on account of his political experience, widespread acceptance, and his "unifying spirit".</p><p>Political analysts view Tassoulas' nomination as aimed at strengthening Mitsotakis' grip on power. His conservative New Democracy party has a small parliamentary majority with 156 seats but is under mounting pressure, opinion polls suggest.</p><p>Centre-left and leftist opposition parties had proposed other candidates and did not back Tassoulas' nomination on Wednesday.</p><p>For decades, failure by parliament to elect a president in Greece could lead to a snap election. After a reform, following a decade-long financial crisis, the process can involve up to five voting rounds in parliament, with the threshold gradually falling to the majority of those present in the chamber.</p><p>Tassoulas will be sworn in as head of state on March 13. (Reporting by Renee Maltezou Editing by Gareth Jones)</p>
<p>Athens: Greece's Parliament elected its former speaker, Constantine Tassoulas, as the country's President on Wednesday, approving the conservative government's nominee for the largely ceremonial role.</p><p>The decision to nominate him has angered protesters who rallied outside Parliament last month seeking justice over a deadly 2023 train crash. They say that on Tassoulas' watch as parliamentary speaker, lawmakers failed to investigate any political responsibility over Greece's worst rail disaster.</p><p>Two years later, a judicial probe is still in progress. Parliament is the only body that can investigate politicians under Greek law.</p><p>Tassoulas, 66, a lawyer and father of two who has been a lawmaker since 2000 and has previously served as Greece's culture minister and deputy defence minister, won the backing of 160 lawmakers in Wednesday's vote in the 300-seat parliament.</p><p>He will succeed Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Greece's first female president, whose five-year term expires in March.</p><p>Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said last month that he chose Tassoulas on account of his political experience, widespread acceptance, and his "unifying spirit".</p><p>Political analysts view Tassoulas' nomination as aimed at strengthening Mitsotakis' grip on power. His conservative New Democracy party has a small parliamentary majority with 156 seats but is under mounting pressure, opinion polls suggest.</p><p>Centre-left and leftist opposition parties had proposed other candidates and did not back Tassoulas' nomination on Wednesday.</p><p>For decades, failure by parliament to elect a president in Greece could lead to a snap election. After a reform, following a decade-long financial crisis, the process can involve up to five voting rounds in parliament, with the threshold gradually falling to the majority of those present in the chamber.</p><p>Tassoulas will be sworn in as head of state on March 13. (Reporting by Renee Maltezou Editing by Gareth Jones)</p>