New Democracy is stepping up its efforts ahead of the upcoming election, with the party machinery “revving up.”
The focus is on tours across the country, strengthening the party’s presence in the regions, and seeking new candidates for the ballots.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis has already sent the first political signal from Rhodes. Specifically, ministers, MPs, and party officials have been instructed to travel to every corner of the country, with the aim of better organizing the New Democracy party ahead of the elections of 2027.
Party officials will have in their “arsenal” the government’s achievements to date and a second set of plans for the next four years.
The plan for “fresh blood” on the ballots
Government officials believe that the next election battle will be decided not only by the political narrative, but also by the people who will represent New Democracy in local communities.
That is why an organized search for new candidates has been underway for months. Close associates of the prime minister, led by his advisor Thanasis Nezis, play a central role in the process.
The focus is primarily on regions where the New Democracy party’s influence is showing signs of decline. The key criterion is the candidates’ appeal to local communities, as well as their professional and political backgrounds.
Meanwhile, New Democracy Director Yannis Smyrlis and Organizational Secretary Stelios Kontadakis are gathering and evaluating proposals from party officials across the country.
The role of the New Democracy party’s new secretary, Konstantinos Kyranakis, who has already begun reaching out to both veteran officials and new faces within the center-right party.
The prime minister’s aides insist that there is a clear goal to “refreshing” the political personnel, noting that the process has already begun with the new Political Committee formed following the 16th New Democracy Congress.
As they point out, of the 112 new members, half are under 45 years old, while the renewal rate reaches 75%.
The first names that have been “locked in”
According to reports, several candidacies for the upcoming electoral lists have already been “locked in.”
Among those slated for the New Democracy lists are Pavlos Marinakis in the B1 Northern Athens Sector, Dimitris Papastergiou in Trikala, Nikos Romanos in Athens South Sector B3, and Irini Agapidakis in Athens West Sector B2.
In Thessaloniki A, the names being mentioned are Nikos Papaioannou and Yiannis Papageorgiou, while a few days ago the candidacy of Alexandra Sdoukou in Athens A was also announced.
The candidacies of former government secretaries-general Tassos Gaitanis, Manos Logothetis, Thanasis Tsiouras, and Dimitris Glymis.
In Piraeus, they believe that the upcoming announcements will also carry political symbolism, as they seek to highlight the narrative of renewal and expansion.
Names from Local Government
Discussions with figures from Local Government are also of particular interest, as the government camp believes that local officials wield significant influence in local communities.
In Trikala, the name of former Deputy Regional Governor Christos Michalakis is being mentioned, while in Messinia, the cases of the former mayor of Pylos Dimitris Kafantaris, the deputy mayor of Kalamata Anastasios Skopeteas, and the lawyer Porfylia Kanellopoulou.
In Euboea, the names of Dimitris Diamantopoulos and the deputy regional governor Giorgos Kelaitidis are being discussed.
For Argolis, the name being mentioned is that of the Vice President of the Athens Bar Association Zois Stavropoulos, while in Imathia, the case of lawyer Maria-Oraiozili Koutsoupia is being considered.
In Aetolia-Acarnania, the names of the mayor of Agrinio Giorgos Papanastasiou and the deputy regional governor Nikos Katsakioris remain on the table, while for Corfu, the former mayor Meropi Ydraio is being mentioned.
At the same time, there is also intense speculation regarding a possible candidacy by the advisor on political strategy and communications Gerasimos Zagoritis in Ioannina.
In Thessaloniki, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Nikos Tachiaos is considering his next steps, while Member of Parliament Maria-Nefeli Hatzioannidou is reportedly set on not running in the upcoming national elections.
