Ruling New Democracy party has confirmed its domination in the local and regional elections, as it managed to win seven out of 13 regions of Greece in the first round of vote on Sunday. However, the voter turnout was low. 

Greek voters "reconfirmed their confidence in New Democracy and the choices it made," Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Sunday night.

“Next week, we will fight for our candidates present in the runoffs,” he added.

Candidates needed to exceed 43% of the valid votes cast to avoid a second round.

Sunday’s outright winners included Nikos Hardalias, the former conservative minister who won the country’s most populous region, Attica. Apostolos Tzitzikostas in Central Macedonia was another outright winner. Incumbent Yannis Moralis was comfortably relected  in the largest port city of Piraeus. 

In the capital of Athens, mayor Kostas Bakoyannis, lost an outright victory by a whisker. Next Sunday’s runoff round should reconfirm his new term in office. 

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has set his political goal of “13 and 3,” meaning, winning all 13 regions and the three biggest cities of Athens, Thessaloniki and Piraeus.