Greece conservative leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis sworn in as PM

Greece's new centre-right politician Kyriakos Mitsotakis was sworn in as Greece’s new prime minister on Monday.

After New Democracy's landslide victory on Sunday, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he would not fail to "honour the hopes" of the Greek people and has vowed the country will "proudly raise its head again".

“Today we get started on the hard work. I have absolute confidence in our abilities to rise to the occasion,” Mitsotakis said.

The win comes four years after Alexis Tsipras's leftist Syriza party swept to power promising an end to austerity.

But voters began to turn on Syriza after it accepted tough fiscal measures in return for an international bailout.

Unemployment and a shrinking economy further damaged support.

In the election, Tsipras's Syriza came second, with just 31.53% of the vote so far, according to official figures released after almost all districts returned their results.

New Democracy, meanwhile, has won 39.85% so far, which would give them an outright majority as the winner receives 50 extra seats in parliament.

Mitsotakis - the son of former Prime Minister Konstantinos Mitsotakis - said the result gave him a strong mandate for change, but added he would be a prime minister for all, because Greeks were "too few to stay divided".

The prime minister, who was sworn in at a ceremony on Monday, has promised lower taxes, greater privatisation of public services and plans to renegotiate a deal with Greece's creditors that would allow more money to be reinvested in the country.

"I want to see this people prosper. I want to see the children who left to return," he told supporters.

Outgoing European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker congratulated Mitsotakis on his "clear victory".

Speaking as the results became clear, Tsipras confirmed he had called Mitsotakis to offer him his congratulations.

"Today, with our head held high we accept the people's verdict. To bring Greece to where it is today we had to take difficult decisions [with] a heavy political cost," Tsipras told journalists.

Turnout in the election was about 57% – one of the lowest figures in decades.

Voting is technically compulsory in the country, though the rule is not enforced.