Under different circumstances, the coincidental presence of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Antonis Samaras, and Kostas Karamanlis at an event wouldn’t make the news. However, given the current dynamics within New Democracy’s internal landscape, the fact that the Prime Minister and the two former Prime Ministers and party leaders will be attending tomorrow’s conference on the post-junta period, organized by the “Konstantinos Karamanlis Foundation” in Philothei, is significant news.
This will mark the first time the three men will be in the same room since the party’s congress in April at Zappeion. Since then, we’ve seen the summer event at the War Museum where Samaras and Karamanlis criticized the government, both men declining to attend the street party for New Democracy’s 50th anniversary on Rigillis, Samaras’ recent speech from Cyprus, and friction over Mitsotakis’ comments about those “fraternizing” with Nikos Pappas.
In New Democracy’s internal environment, where every detail counts, tomorrow’s choreography of the three leaders’ presence will be especially meaningful: how they will be seated, how they will shake hands, who will chat privately with whom. The invitation to Mitsotakis and Samaras was extended by Achilleas Karamanlis, the founder’s brother and de facto guardian of his legacy, while Kostas Karamanlis is a board member of the Foundation. As it stands, none of the three leaders are scheduled to speak, and they will all listen to the introductory remarks by former Italian Prime Minister and prominent European figure Mario Monti.
It is clear that no one expects differences and gaps to be bridged simply by this joint presence. Nonetheless, this encounter is expected to spark conversation, despite the Maximos Mansion’s attempt to downplay internal party matters, arguing that these issues do not particularly interest the public. “Obviously, there are different opinions, which will continue to exist and be voiced. But citizens and New Democracy voters, as well as those not yet aligned with New Democracy but are waiting to see if we deliver on our promises before considering their support, are not interested in this discussion,” said government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis today on “SKAI.” However, as long as the matter concerning Samaras remains unresolved, the uncertainty lingers, even though his associates dismiss as “baseless” the idea that he has decided to vote against the budget.
ONNED’s Invitation
In this setting of delicate balances, the event marking ONNED’s 50th anniversary, scheduled for Saturday at the Athens Conservatory, adds another layer. Kyriakos Mitsotakis is set to attend and deliver a speech around noon, while similar invitations have been extended to both Samaras and Karamanlis. So far, the offices of the two former Prime Ministers have not responded, with both stating they will decide by the end of the week. However, insiders estimate that, given their absence from the New Democracy anniversary celebration, it is unlikely they will attend the ONNED event. Meanwhile, Evangelos Meimarakis, another former party leader and former ONNED president, is expected to attend and possibly speak, unless his European commitments keep him in Brussels.
