The obsession of some to force the New Democracy and, above all, Kyriakos Mitsotakis is bringing back scenarios of a coalition government with a third-party prime minister.

By Ersi Papadaki

The scenario of New Democracy failing to secure a majority in the upcoming electoral contest, as well as the chaos in which the already divided opposition remains mired in—are bringing to the forefront discussions that had indeed taken place in the past but were quickly abandoned because even their supporters realized they were unrealistic. Such as, for example, the talk of forming a “special-purpose” government, with the sole aim, of course, of those promoting these scenarios being to exclude New Democracy—and especially Kyriakos Mitsotakis—from the government.

Where does this come from?

However, even the term “special-purpose government” evokes other eras and situations. For what is the “special purpose” this government is supposed to serve? Is there political or economic instability or social unrest? Has the country gone through some national crisis that would justify the extraordinary circumstances of this form of governance? These and countless other questions one might ask when hearing talk of a “special-purpose government.”

However, this does not seem to deter the plan’s supporters, who are emboldened by the domestic political collusion whose sole aim is to bring down Mr. Mitsotakis and his government. Nor does reality itself deter the enthusiasts, as it dictates that this scenario constitutes an admission of their objective inability to confront, in political terms, the government and the New Democracy party.

Some of them had, in fact, previously circulated the notion of a “special purpose” in the recent past, specifically before the 2023 elections, as their reasoning at the time was that a government should supposedly be formed that would put the entire political system on trial for the Tempi tragedy…

It is worth noting for those who do not have a strong memory that Alexis Tsipras was the one who, during the 2023 election campaign, spoke openly about a “special-purpose government” in order—as he said at the time—to restore the rule of law and prioritize the judicial investigation of surveillance cases and the railway tragedy. This statement was in fact criticized at the time not only by the New Democracy party, but also by PASOK, with Harilaou Trikoupi characterizing the former prime minister in her official statement as “Mr. Mitsotakis’s sponsor.”

One of the defining characteristics of “special-purpose government” is that its prime minister is always a third party and not the leader of any of the parties participating in the governing coalition. This is yet another indication that those promoting this particular scenario simply want to see Mr. Mitsotakis hand over power by… force.

Because even in the hypothetical scenario where the numbers don’t add up after the election and the New Democracy party is forced to join such a government, then supporters of the plan are quick to assume that the current prime minister will be out of the game and, at the same time, an internal crisis will erupt within New Democracy, from which the opposition will certainly benefit.

All in all…

In other words, domestic collusion and the ubiquitous… colluders seem to be playing their last cards once again. Their disappointment with the polls that followed the announcement by the parties of Alexis Tsipras and Maria Karystianou is evident, and certainly no “political upset” seems to be emerging. Thus, the scenario of a “special-purpose government” is back on the table, thereby simultaneously undermining the New Democracy narrative of a majority government from the first Sunday—that is, without requiring a runoff election