In a period of intense activity within opposition party ranks, Kyriakos Mitsotakis positioned himself on the chessboard yesterday, setting out his political signal from the Cabinet and describing a scene of “Babylon,” with no alternative proposal for citizens and with the main demand being the fall of the government.

In this context, Mr. Mitsotakis contrasts the argument of political stability and the implementation of reforms that affect citizens in their daily lives, believing that at the end of the day what matters to them are not personality-based formations and the leaderships’ strategy of self-justification.

“New parties are being announced with first-time or returning protagonists who wear a different mask while being well known from their public presence either in the recent or more distant past. Institutional, supposedly, forces are losing their seriousness and credibility, in a political Babylon with a common denominator the denunciation of the government,” Mr. Mitsotakis stressed, placing Alexis Tsipras (returning with a different mask), Maria Karystianou (first-time appearance), as well as Nikos Androulakis of PASOK in the same frame, who instructed his party to vote “present” during the process confirming Giannis Stournaras’s third term at the Bank of Greece, contrary to what it had done in 2014 and 2020.

The fact that Mr. Androulakis appeared yesterday intransigent on the Stournaras case, according to government sources, confirms the irritation existing in PASOK due to the emergence of Tsipras’s party and the need felt by Charilaou Trikoupis to “raise barriers” against a left-wing flanking maneuver.

It remains to be seen whether Mr. Mitsotakis will comment today on developments as well, as he is expected to speak at the conference organized by protothema.gr and ygeiamou.gr at the “Grande Bretagne” hotel. Yesterday, however, immediately after Tsipras’s speech, the Maximos Mansion threw down the gauntlet. “So much communication and publicity just for Mr. Tsipras to appear again unchanged and unrepentant, reminding everyone of the reasons citizens voted him out,” government sources said, adding that “society wants us to move even faster forward and Mr. Tsipras, from the name of his party to his ‘uncovered’ promises and toxic rhetoric, wants to take Greece back many decades.”

Interventions for society and warning shots

In this context, and as the situation within the opposition remains highly fluid, Mr. Mitsotakis is emphasizing the government’s measures to support society, amid the turbulent international environment.

Yesterday, the extension of the diesel fuel subsidy by 15 cents for June was announced, but not the fuel pass. Relevant sources note that the situation is under continuous evaluation and, if required, the government will revisit the issue in July depending on the evolution of the war—possibly even for unleaded gasoline. After all, fiscal buffers still exist.

While Mr. Mitsotakis insists on the government’s reform agenda and daily-life policy priorities, the government apparatus is already launching the first warning shots in all directions. Regarding Mr. Tsipras, government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis emphasized that he “chose to tax pensioners rather than shipowners,” citing statements by Jean-Claude Juncker in a SKAI documentary about 2015.

Regarding Ms. Karystianou, government officials note that “the outline of her program is something we have heard before in the Upper and Lower Squares.” At the same time, the government team appears cautious about the actual electoral performance of Karystianou’s party, with officials arguing that many parties were “electoral juggernauts” in polls but either never ran or did run and failed to impress with their performance.