Antonis Samaras particpated in his first European People’s Party (EPP) summit on Thursday as Greece’s “former” prime minister, in the wake of his party’s poor showing in last month’s snap election.
Samaras and New Democracy (ND) party’s second-place showing jettisoned SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras into the premier’s office — the first time a radical leftist party emerged victorious in Europe in recent memory.
As a “game of chicken” between the new Greek government and its eurozone lenders continued this week ahead of the bailout scheme’s expiration on Feb. 28, Samaras returned to Brussels as conservative ND party leader to declare his presence.
“I am here to ensure the European course of the country, that’s why I am here. And, of course, a sense of deadlock doesn’t help,” he told his centre-right counterparts in an address.
Samaras was seated next to former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, while he reportedly “made the rounds” with several current and former European leaders belonging to the EPP – the centre-right political grouping in Europe.