Greek PM Mitsotakis Expels Former PM Antonis Samaras From Ruling Party

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has expelled former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras from New Democracy in a sudden move that shocked the center-right party.

The New Democracy leader came to the decision to expunge Samaras from the party’s parliamentary group after the latter harshly criticized Mitsotakis and his work in an interview with the Greek newspaper To Vima, according to the Sunday edition.

Samaras challenged the current PM’s ability to negotiate with Turkey on critical issues and implied that he and Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis have made concessions to the neighboring country.

Τhe former PM also implied that Mitsotakis should “send home” Gerapetritis. On the issue of the next president of the Hellenic Republic, Samaras said that former PM Kostas Karamanlis would be ideal.

Finally, the former PM criticized Mitsotakis for adopting woke movement ideals and imitating other EU member states. This caused Mitsotakis to expel Antonis Samara, a former PM of Greece.

The statement of Government Spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis

Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister of Greece and Government Spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis in his statement on the matter said:

“We have repeated several times that former prime ministers have the special privilege of voicing their views and concerns on policy issues from time to time.

However, Antonis Samaras in his last interview did not express an opinion. He expressed his complete disagreement with the entire government policy. In addition, in a blatant and provocative manner, he adopted extreme falsehoods, distorting statements of the minister of foreign affairs which have been clarified repeatedly and in detail.

He even went so far as to claim that the Prime Minister of Greece and the President of the Republic of Cyprus were ‘having fun’ with the President of Turkey and the Prime Minister of Albania.

Finally, the untimely discussion he insisted on regarding the election of the President of the Republic constitutes an insult to the person and institution of the Head of State.

All of the above cannot be tolerated or accepted. For years, society has left behind the camarilla logic and stubbornness in politics. Those who envision a shrunken New Democracy in the order of 18 percent in polls should consider that, with the strategy of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, New Democracy has won three national elections to date with percentages in the order of 40 percent.”

Therefore, with today’s interview, Samaras has clearly positioned and placed himself outside New Democracy for the second time since 1993. Nonetheless, the government majority continues steadily on track albeit without Samaras.

Sources close to former Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis respond with the phrase “no comment” and emphasize that there was no prior agreement between the two former prime ministers regarding the content of the interview of Antonis Samaras, which will be published tomorrow in the newspaper Vima tis Kyriaki.

Samaras’ response

Antonis Samaras replied to the statement made by Government Spokesperson Marinakis, saying:

“Arrogance and an obvious lack of composure explain Mitsotakis’ move. Cut off from the base, he leads a party that looks only a bit like New Democracy.

I spoke in the past and I will speak again, only about the things that have to do with  Greece.

So let us know where I am wrong. In Greek-Turkish relations, where just yesterday the general director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs resigned? In the difficulty of the citizens to cope with the cost of living? In the woke agenda, which while he himself brought it to Greece, after Trump’s election he suddenly talks about the tyranny of the minority?

Maybe about the Novartis conspiracy? Or maybe because I proposed Kostas Karamanlis for President of the Republic? I have sacrificed everything for the country, even my health. But no one can force me to sacrifice my conscience.

Let the people and history be the judge of all of us.”