Antonis Samaras accuses Kyriakos Mitsotakis of arrogance and an apparent lack of composure in a statement following the announcement of his expulsion from New Democracy.

“I have spoken, I speak, and I will continue to speak only about the issues that concern Greece,” says the former Prime Minister, questioning where he might be wrong.

“I sacrificed everything for my country, even my health. However, no one can force me to sacrifice my conscience. The judge of all of us will be the people and history,” he concludes.

Samaras’ full statement:

“Arrogance and an apparent lack of composure explain Mitsotakis’ actions. Disconnected from the base, he leads a party that now barely resembles New Democracy.
I have spoken, I speak, and I will continue to speak only about the issues that concern Greece.
So, let him tell us where I am wrong. Is it on Greek-Turkish relations, where just yesterday the General Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs resigned? On the citizens’ struggle to cope with rising costs? On the woke agenda, which he himself introduced to Greece but now, after Trump’s election, suddenly criticizes as the ‘tyranny of the minority’?
Is it on the Novartis conspiracy?
Or perhaps because I proposed Kostas Karamanlis as President of the Republic?
I sacrificed everything for my country, even my health. However, no one can force me to sacrifice my conscience.
The judge of all of us will be the people and history.”

As for reports that Antonis Samaras may have left for the United States today, sources from his circle note that the trip is scheduled for tomorrow, but it remains to be seen if it will take place.

A close associate told protothema.gr that Samaras’ next moves will be decided in the coming period, emphasizing that Samaras had considered the possibility of his expulsion based on his actions. However, he believed it would be rather extreme to be expelled over his interview with To Vima.

Latinopoulou on Samaras: “History cannot be erased, Mr. Prime Minister”

In a statement, Afrodite Latinopoulou refers to the decision to expel Antonis Samaras as a “dark page” for New Democracy (ND), its principles, and values. The President of Foni tis Logikis (Voice of Reason) highlights that ND is transforming from a transparent, democratic, and dialogue-friendly party into an authoritarian one.

Her full statement:

“Mr. Prime Minister, you cannot erase a former Prime Minister who kept Greece standing in 2012-2015. A leader who was brought to the presidency of the party by the New Democracy base.

Unfortunately, the relationship between New Democracy under Kyriakos Mitsotakis and patriotic and anti-woke positions has officially ended.

The former Prime Minister and prominent member of New Democracy, Antonis Samaras, has now become a thing of the past, thanks to a disgraceful personal decision by Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The reason was his opposition to the secret diplomacy being carried out by your government with Turkey, as revealed by the former General Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Roussos Koundouros, when submitting his resignation. Was it perhaps because Samaras demanded the obvious: the resignation of Foreign Minister, Mr. Gerapetritis?

Or was it because Mr. Mitsotakis was bothered by Samaras’ proposal to have a right-wing President of the Republic, such as Kostas Karamanlis? Let us also recall the left-wing choice of Mrs. Sakellaropoulou as President, instead of the sitting President, Prokopis Pavlopoulos.

Today, a dark page was written for New Democracy, its principles, and its values. From a transparent, democratic, and dialogue-friendly party, it has turned into an authoritarian, one-man-show party of Mr. Mitsotakis, intolerant to dialogue and, above all, to democracy itself.”