ND leader eyes unity, ejection of ‘worst gov’t’

Launching the conservative party’s 11th two-day conference on the weekend, New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis appealed to party officials and supporters to join forces in order to “change Greece” and “get rid of the worst government of the postdictatorship era.”

Accusing the administration of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras of lies and arrogance, Mitsotakis said it is ND’s duty “to unite people, to persuade them that there is another way.”

He also indicated that ND is ready to work with other political forces to achieve its aim, reaching out to Fofi Gennimata and Stavros Theodorakis, the leaders of Democratic Alignment (PASOK) and Potami respectively, who were both in attendance. “The [political] space you represent is ND’s historic rival but national necessity has brought us side-by-side, allies against a major challenge,” Mitsotakis said to socialist leader Gennimata.

As for Potami, he described the centrist party as a “reforming, consistent and responsible force.”

The audience at the conference, which was held at the Athens International Airport conference venue in Spata, comprised several conservative veterans including former prime ministers Antonis Samaras and Costas Karamanlis.

In comments to reporters, Karamanlis said the conference aimed to present “the plan for resetting the country,” adding that priorities included a review of the constitution and attracting investments.

Samaras, for his part, indicated that ND will win the next elections. “We are united in the face of the victory that lies ahead of us,” he said.

Mitsotakis said the key goal of the conference was to “highlight the policies that will secure an exit from the crisis, and to renew our commitment to the Greek people and to the principles according to which we are ready to govern.”

The conservative leader praised Karamanlis for “bringing ND to power after 11 years and giving it greater popular appeal,” and Samaras for “keeping Greece on its feet inside Europe.”