The messages from Loverdos’ accession to New Democracy – The background of his approach with Kyriakos Mitsotakis

The integration of former PASOK government curate Andreas Loverdos into New Democracy was considered by governmental circles arsenic astir a given. Mr. Loverdos himself had said that helium would marque a governmental comeback successful September, his enactment Democrats had fundamentally ceased operating, portion Kyriakos Mitsotakis, since mid-June and during the ND Political Committee gathering to elite Kostas Skrekas arsenic the party’s secretary, was already speaking astir further broadening the governing party.

“From the precise beginning, Mr. Mitsotakis has remained faithful to the logic of broadening ND’s basal successful some directions,” authorities officials stress, reminding that the ample majorities of 2019 and 2023 would not person been achieved without the enactment of voters who were not accepted ND supporters. Of course, the existent discourse is not the aforesaid arsenic successful 2023, and Mr. Mitsotakis himself has shifted backmost to the logic of enactment “orthodoxy,” arsenic the caller March reshuffle showed. Still, helium does not privation to wantonness his long-standing ties with the governmental center, thing besides reflected successful bringing successful Mr. Loverdos.

The inheritance of the approach

Mr. Loverdos and Kyriakos Mitsotakis did not conscionable yesterday; aft all, they some served arsenic ministers successful the Samaras–Venizelos government. For those with bully memory, they adjacent clashed successful the summertime of 2014 implicit assemblage unit dismissals, erstwhile Mr. Mitsotakis was Minister of Administrative Reform and Mr. Loverdos Minister of Education. Time softened those tensions, and Mr. Loverdos appeared progressively adjacent to ND. He supported the authorities during the Tempi calamity period, portion during the OPEKEPE lawsuit helium backed the enactment of an Inquiry Committee alternatively than a Preliminary Investigation Committee for Makis Voridis and Lefteris Avgenakis.

According to accusation from protothema.gr, connected the day of the furniture reshuffle past March, Mitsotakis and Loverdos spoke connected the telephone and a fewer days aboriginal met successful person. They agreed successful rule but decided to re-examine the concern aft the summertime break. In that meeting, they besides discussed the “arena” of South Athens’ Second Constituency, wherever galore “heavyweight” ND figures run, but Mr. Loverdos appeared determined to “make the move.”

They spoke again astatine the extremity of August, sealed the agreement, and decided to denote it aft the Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) cycle. It is telling that, portion Mr. Loverdos and his adjacent associates were heading to the Maximos Mansion for the authoritative photos, a workfellow from his instrumentality bureau was simultaneously submitting papers to the Supreme Court for the suspension of his party’s operations.

The right-wing agenda

Although Mr. Mitsotakis believes that ND tin and should proceed with an “open doors” policy, determination are enactment officials who are acrophobic astir “how overmuch PASOK ND tin absorb.” To this, authorities insiders antagonistic with the “right-wing agenda” being pursued connected a fig of issues, which they judge resonates with citizens holding patriotic concerns — the accepted backbone of ND, who mightiness different look elsewhere.

A telling illustration is migration management, to beryllium discussed successful today’s KYSEA gathering (11:00), fixed the caller surge of arrivals successful Crete. By Friday, migrants volition person been transferred to mainland facilities, portion it remains to beryllium seen whether the suspension of asylum applications — expiring connected October 11 — volition beryllium extended for astatine slightest different month. Reportedly, Migration Minister Thanos Plevris is recommending an extension.

Similar moves are underway successful defence procurements, with options connected the array including acquiring different Belharra frigate and purchasing 2 Italian Bergamini frigates. All this conscionable days earlier the premier minister’s caller gathering with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Greece’s hard stance connected Turkey’s imaginable inclusion successful the European SAFE program.

The “formers” and stability

It remains to beryllium seen however powerfully Mr. Mitsotakis volition persist with “openings” and references to erstwhile premier ministers successful tonight’s interrogation connected ANT1’s main quality bulletin, wherever his main extremity is to item the measures helium announced astatine TIF. In that context, his reply astir post-election scenarios volition besides beryllium of interest, since successful Thessaloniki helium was not categorical astir ND’s request for outright bulk rule.

Yesterday, however, astatine a Hellenic Corporation of Assets and Participations (HCAP) event, helium emphasized the governmental stableness that stems from a single-party government. “In 2023, the citizens rewarded america by giving america a caller mandate. This, I believe, sets america isolated from galore different European countries, wherever conjugation authorities tin beryllium precise complicated,” helium said meaningfully.