Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras announced his resignation Thursday and called for elections in the wake of a bruising political battle over austerity measures demanded by the nation’s creditors.
The president of the nation's supreme court, Vasiliki Thanou-Christophilou, will take over as prime minister in a caretaker government until the elections, in keeping with the constitution. She will be Greece’s first female prime minister.
“The popular mandate I received on Jan. 25 has surpassed its limits, and now the people have to have their voices heard anew,” Tsipras said in a nationally televised address. “With your vote you will decide who will lead Greece, and how, on the difficult road that lies ahead.