Greek socialist leader elected to head centre-left alliance

ATHENS, Greece – Greece’s socialist leader has been elected as the leader of a new centre-left alliance.

With the counting almost complete, the 53-year-old Fofi Gennimata, a former Athens governor and minister, leads with 57 per cent Sunday. Her runoff rival, 38-year-old Nikos Androulakis, a European Parliament legislator and former socialist youth leader, is getting 43 per cent.

Both qualified for the runoff in the vote last week, where they decisively defeated incumbent Athens mayor Giorgos Kaminis, and Stavros Theodorakis, leader of centrist party To Potami, as well as five other candidates.

Gennimata’s win is unlikely to appeal to more centrist voters, or socialist modernizers, many of whom backed her challenger in the second round.