The conservative New Democracy (ND), the ruling party of Greece, has decided to expel from its ranks the former prime minister and current deputy Antonis Samarás, in reaction to his criticism of the policy of the Executive headed by the leader of the party, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
This was reported this Saturday by the Greek Government spokesperson, Pavlos Marinakisin a statement published on the social network X.
The last straw was a statement by Samarás calling for the resignation of the Foreign Minister. Yorgos Yerapetritispublished by the weekly ‘To Vima’.
“With his interview today, Mr. Samarás positioned himself outside New Democracy,” since he “expressed his total disagreement with government policy,” Marinakis said in his statement.
“Furthermore, in a shameless and provocative manner, he adopted extreme falsehoodsdistorting statements by the Foreign Minister that have been clarified repeatedly and in detail,” he added.
Samarás, who has been criticizing the policy of the Mitsotakis Government for months, accused Yerapetritis of friendly postures towards Ankara, which he described as a strategy of “topermanent appeasement” contrary to the ND line.
“Permanent appeasement”
“It is not a centrist policy to permanently appease the turkish challenges“, he declared in the interview with the Greek weekly, and pointed out that Mitsotakis “must send the Foreign Minister home” if he does not want, “for speaking on behalf of the friendship and tranquility with Türkiye”, be considered “as a traitor“.
In addition, he spoke out in favor of the former prime minister. Kostas Karamanlisleader of an ND faction opposing that of Mitsotakis, as a candidate for head of state in next year’s presidential elections.
At 73 years old, Samarás was president of ND between 2009 and 2015and headed the Government of Greece between 2012 and 2015, in the midst of the financial crisis.
Currently, he is the leader of a faction that belongs to the right wing wrote ND.
It is expected that next week the expulsion procedure of the party.
