EU Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos on Sunday resigned as vice-president of the main opposition New Democracy party during a crucial same-day meeting.

Addressing the meeting, he recommended that the center-right party make way for a younger generation of party members.

Avramopoulos, who holds the Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship portfolio, said, “It is time to bridge the faction’s generations.” He added that he would continue to focus on European issues.

The former minister and ex-Athens mayor’s decision comes in the wake of increasing criticism of current ND leader Antonis Samaras, who has rejected the idea of a party congress and challenges to his leadership less than two months after losing the election to leftist SYRIZA.