When the government made significant changes to the Constitution and detached the election of the President of the Republic from the dissolution of Parliament and the triggering of early elections, no one imagined the political environment in which we would head toward the 2025 presidential election. Under normal circumstances, it would have been a painless process with political symbolism, but now, the choice of Mr. Mitsotakis has taken on the characteristics of a crash test for political stability, which the prime minister swears by.
Mr. Mitsotakis has consistently chosen the path of silence during the past months, when numerous scenarios for various names have been circulating. He communicates that he will not engage in the discussion from the outset and for reasons of institutional order, while clarifying that the discussion will begin at the appropriate time, at the start of the new year. In fact, yesterday, during the event for the presentation of the Ministry of Justice’s report at the National Insurance conference center, Mr. Mitsotakis and Mrs. Sakellaropoulou sat in adjacent seats and conversed when the opportunity arose.
The personal chemistry between the two remains strong, despite the fact that the President of the Republic herself understands that the prospects of staying in her position are slim. Of course, her interlocutors convey that she does not see the position as a “privilege” but as a duty. In this way, Mr. Mitsotakis and Mrs. Sakellaropoulou were speaking… quietly during the video presentation of the event, and immediately afterward, they left together. In fact, during the exit, Mrs. Sakellaropoulou seemed to wait for Mr. Mitsotakis, who also sought her out. Together with the “host,” Minister of Justice Giorgos Floridis, they climbed the steps towards the exit on Syngrou Avenue, conversing briefly, and exchanged warm greetings before both departed.
A figure of the Center-Right
Mr. Mitsotakis may not publicly engage in the discussion, but behind the scenes, it is flourishing, with the common opinion being that the time is coming for a center-right figure. Both inside and outside Maximos Mansion, potential candidates are being discussed, and many names are being heard, some of which would cause a domino effect. One of the first names that came up was that of the President of Parliament, Kostas Tassoulas, who undoubtedly “checks all the boxes” on the controversial list. Of course, the discussion is still academic, although everyone agrees that Mr. Tassoulas is acceptable to all factions of New Democracy.
Scenarios for Defense Minister Nikos Dendias are frequently mentioned, but the realistic chances of such a prospect are extremely small. Some have even proposed the name of the central bank governor, Giannis Stournaras, arguing that he served as the Finance Minister in the Samaras government. Other names have been mentioned as well, such as that of former Deputy Prime Minister Panagiotis Pikrammenos. As for the scenario of Kostas Karamanlis, which was brought up by Antonis Samaras, it seems highly unlikely for a number of reasons. Mr. Mitsotakis would risk alienating the centrist voters of New Democracy, while Mr. Karamanlis has made it clear that he is not interested, and it remains to be seen how loudly he will express this tomorrow in Patras.
Return to normality
Mitsotakis, however, does not want to be trapped in an endless presidential rhetoric either. Yesterday he spoke at a Justice Ministry event and today he will join top executives of the European Investment Bank in Naxos for the signing of the India Resettlement Fund, which will be hosted at the island’s port. Finally, in the afternoon, he will speak at a joint event of the Ministry of Finance and the ADSE at the Zappeion.
Yesterday, the Minister of Social Cohesion and Family Sofia Zacharaki briefed some 50 MPs in detail on the ministry’s actions. In a detailed presentation, she laid out the work underway and took a series of questions, from benefits and demographics to actions for the disabled and the relocation of Roma camps, with the discussion being judged by all as productive and mostly low-key.
