Preparations for drawing up the candidate slates for the upcoming national elections are in full swing at the Maximos Mansion and at the New Democracy headquarters.
Although the election date remains undecided, the government camp believes that early preparation is a critical factor in maintaining the party’s electoral dominance.
The prime minister’s close associates, Thanasis Nezis, Stelios Kontadakis, and Giannis Smyrlis are writing down and crossing out names, sounding out and vetting candidates to ensure the best possible outcome and avoid any unpleasant surprises.
The first decisions have already been announced gradually, and more may follow from Piraeus within the week. The goal is to strike a balance between the experience of incumbent MPs and the need for renewal with new faces who have social and local government clout, as well as popularity in local communities.
Beyond the new additions, however, there will also be departures from the New Democracy lists, including some current members of parliament. For example, Theodoros Rousopoulos has decided not to run again in the Northern District (his name is being mentioned for the national ticket), while similar thoughts of stepping down are being considered by Dionysis Hatzidakis in the Southern Sector of Athens, Theodoros Karaoglou in Thessaloniki B (he will be a candidate for the Central Macedonia Region) and Yiannis Tragakis in Piraeus B (his daughter, Argyro, will be a candidate).
Moreover, the situation surrounding Giorgos Vlachos in Eastern Attica remains unclear, given his strained relations with the Prime Minister’s Office. Much will also depend on the next move by Antonis Samaras, who—if he ultimately proceeds with forming a new party—is very likely to be joined, among others, by his close political ally, the MP for Messinia, Miltos Chrysomallis.
For the first time
In addition to Th. Rousopoulos, other names are reportedly being considered for the national list, such as that of the Speaker of the House, Nikitas Kaklamanis, the Minister of Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastavros (who is also being mentioned for the southern sector of Athens), the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Margaritis Schinas (who is also in the running for Thessaloniki A), as well as former Minister and European Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos, who appears to be leaving Elis.
It is not out of the question that former Minister Theodoros Skylakakis, who was on the National List in 2023, might try his hand at politics in the same electoral district. Also on that ticket was the Cypriot former Minister of Civil Protection, Christos Stylianides, who is stepping down and is rumored to be considering a run for president of the Republic of Cyprus in two years.
Conversely, Deputy Minister of Health Irini Agapidakis, who will be running in the western sector of Athens, and Giorgos Stamatis, who will be running in the Corinthia electoral district, are leaving this ticket and will now seek voters’ support elsewhere.
For the first time, other ministers and deputy ministers from the government will also be running for parliament. This group includes the Minister of Digital Governance, Dimitris Papastergiou, in Trikala, Government Spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis in the northern sector of Athens, Deputy Minister of Health Marios Themistokleous in Eastern Attica, and Deputy Minister of Education Nikos Papaioannou in Thessaloniki A.
New Democracy’s press secretary, Alexandra Sdoukou, will ultimately run in Athens A rather than in Grevena, as originally planned. The spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance, Omiros Tsapalos, will also be running in the same electoral district, while the name of actor Thanasis Viskadourakis is being mentioned.
In the Southern Sector of Athens, former PASOK minister Andreas Loverdos, the Prime Minister’s Director of Digital Communications, Nikos Romanos, and former Secretary of Research and Innovation, Tassos Gaitanis.
In Eastern Attica, potential candidates include lawyer Niovi Christopoulou, who ran in the last European elections as a representative of the Greek diaspora; political scientist Vaso Kollia, and the physician Katerina Katsandri; meanwhile, in Piraeus A, photographer Dimitris Skoulou and police union leader Grigoris Gerakarou are likely to appear on the party lists.
As for the co-capital, in the challenging A’ Thessaloniki district, the race will be contested by former Secretary General of Public Revenue, Thanasis Tsiouras, and the coordinator of the Prime Minister’s Office in Thessaloniki, Giannis Papageorgiou. It is not out of the question that Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Nikos Tachiaos might do the same, while the names of Vasilis Andreadis, Afroditi Nestoros, Panagiotis Kokkoris, and Dimitris Venieris are also being mentioned.
In Thessaloniki’s 2nd District, Voula Patoulidou’s name is being mentioned, while Katerina Ziouta, Christina Sotirakoglou, and Fani Blioumi are also likely candidates.
Piraeus’s goal is to finalize the core of the candidate lists as soon as possible, so that New Democracy can enter the final stretch of the election campaign with a clear political stance, a refreshed team, and as few internal party issues as possible.