The President of Greece’s major opposition party New Democracy, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the country needed a fresh new start, during a speech at an event organised by the Centre for Liberal Studies entitled “Greece 2021-Agenda for Freedom and Prosperity”. Mr Mitsotakis said that on May 26 (local and European elections) the forces of truth would be clashing against the lies and progress against stagnation.

In his address, the leader of ND focused especially on matters of security and social safety making reference to the district of Exarchia in downtown Athens where anarchist and anti-establishment groups frequently clash with police and have practically rendered the area a no-go zone for law enforcement agencies.

“It is a demand by all Greeks, regardless of ideological identity and origin, to end the status of lawlessness. The situation has gone completely haywire. We have reached a point where criminal groups, not only bear arms but also disarm members of law enforcement”, Mitsotakis said.

The leader of ND promised to scrap the university asylum law, which allowed hardcore criminal elements to exploit it and find sanctuary in educational institutions and avoid capture.

Mr Mitsotakis accused the current leftist SYRIZA government of being mired in scandals, despite efforts to conceal the improprieties committed.

The leader of ND went on to say that the country was experiencing the repercussions of politics of dishonesty, adding that the state was “inefficient and costly” which had sunk the economy.