It is only a matter of time—perhaps even hours—before the announcement of the new Secretary of the New Democracy party, as well as the subsequent minor changes to the government lineup to fill the vacant positions.According to reports, the Prime Minister has reportedly settled on Deputy Minister of Transport Konstantinos Kyranakis, to take the reins of the party during a difficult period, as the informal—and intense—pre-election campaign has already begun. Other government and parliamentary officials had been mentioned as candidates for the position of Secretary, such as Vasilis Spanakis, Sofia Zacharaki (who declined), George Stylos, and Yiannis Pappas; however, the 39-year-old lawyer appears to be winning by a narrow margin. The election of the new Secretary is expected to take place next Wednesday, June 10, at the first meeting of the new Political Committee, which emerged from the May convention.
Another significant “move” that—according to the same sources—Kyriakos Mitsotakis appears to have decided on involves the Minister of Development, Takis Theodorikakos, to the Maximos Mansion, taking over the responsibilities of Giorgos Mylonakis, who is recovering after his serious health scare. This is not the first time the two men will work together, given that Mr. Theodorikakos was one of the prime minister’s closest associates even before he was elected leader of the New Democracy party.
Serres MP Tassos Hatzivassiliou is also expected to return to the government as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, most likely replacing Alexandra Papadopoulou. The 45-year-old international relations expert resigned from the same position about a year ago due to his name being implicated in the OPEKEPE case; however, last Tuesday the case was closed, and Mr. Hatzivassiliou appears vindicated by these developments.
This fall
Kyriakos Mitsotakis wants both his government and the party machinery to be working at full capacity, as he has not ruled out the possibility of an election in the fall, shortly after the Thessaloniki International Fair. In fact, two possible dates are reportedly circled on the agenda: September 27 and October 11, although final decisions will be made at the end of the summer and depending on current circumstances. Officially, of course, the Maximos Mansion insists on elections in 2027, as government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis reiterated yesterday on Mega. “The elections will take place at the end of the four-year term,” he emphasized, once again bringing the narrative of self-sufficiency and the… single ballot box to the forefront of public discourse:
“Our goal is to avoid the need for a coalition, and we are cautiously optimistic. We are a few points behind based on a 7- to 8-point vote estimate, but we have a year of hard work ahead of us, delivering results and completing major projects… “In parliamentary elections, there is no second or third round. By election night, the country must have a government,” he emphasized.
Meanwhile, the New Democracy Political Academies will begin their work in the immediate future to maintain an open dialogue with local communities and conduct the necessary… seminars for party officials ahead of the elections. There will be a detailed briefing on the government’s record, communication strategies, and preparations for the ideological debate with other parties during the upcoming pre-election period. The first such session will take place in Thessaloniki next Thursday, followed by similar events in the rest of the country’s regions.