Harsh attack on Alexis Tsipras, barbs aimed at Charis Doukas, and comments on developments within the center-left included in the interview with Dimitris Kairidis on Alpha Radio 98.9.
The member of parliament from New Democracy was asked to comment on the interview with Alexis Tsipras and, in particular, the former prime minister’s statement that he is not interested in the role of leader of the officialopposition, but rather in forming a single-party government and becoming prime minister. Mr. Kairidis responded in a particularly sharp manner, calling him “arrogant and cunning”.
“The party is entirely his own”
Explaining the description “arrogant,” Dimitris Kairidis argued that Alexis Tsipras operates on terms of absolute personal dominance in the political arena he is attempting to shape. “Arrogant because the party is entirely his own—person-centered and leader-driven,” he said characteristically, arguing that the former prime minister is imposing conditions on his former colleagues from SYRIZA for their return.
In a mocking tone, he noted that Alexis Tsipras “is putting his former comrades through their paces,” saying he would accept them back “only after they first resign from their seats,” while adding ironically that they would have to “repent for their sins” and “fast for 40 or 60 days.” “This is unprecedented at a certain point,” he noted.
Taxation of the wealthy and the “trap”
Mr. Kairidis described Alexis Tsipras as a “cunning little man”, referring to his stance on the issue of taxation. As he said, the former prime minister understood the political “trap” that could be created if the debate were reopened that “the Left is coming” to raise taxes.
“He understood the trap that some people—and perhaps even he himself, regarding taxation—were setting for him by reopening this discussion,” he said, noting that Mr. Tsipras limited his remarks to the “ultra-wealthy.”
The New Democracy MP argued that this rhetoric is familiar and repetitive, pointing out that the key question for Greece is not “how we will drive out wealth,” but “how to create wealth.”
“The key is how we’re going to create wealth, not how we’re going to drive out wealth or how we’re going to redistribute the small pie, because the Greek pie is small, let’s be honest,” he said.
“Tsipras is gaining ground in the polls”
In response to the observation that Alexis Tsipras appears to be gaining traction in the polls and that there are people who believe in him, Mr. Kairidis responded by citing Stefanos Kasselakis as an example.
“And Kasselakis—I’ll never stop saying this— 15% in the European elections all on his own,” he said, adding that afterward “they uprooted him” and “kicked him out.”
In the same vein, Dimitris Kairidis made an even harsher remark about Alexis Tsipras, saying that behind the image he projects lies a deeper political logic. “Behind that smile and whatever charisma he has left lies Stalin. Have no doubt about it,” he said pointedly.
“Is Haris Doukas a member of PASOK?”
Dimitris Kairidis was also asked about the confrontation that arose with Haris Doukas, making clear jabs at the mayor of Athens’ political ties to PASOK as well as to the camp of Alexis Tsipras.
In fact, at one point during the interview, he appeared to politically question Mr. Doukas’s organic ties to PASOK, asking pointedly: “Is Haris Doukas a member of PASOK?”
When it was pointed out to him that the mayor of Athens identifies as a PASOK member, Mr. Kairidis replied: “He says he’s with PASOK… everyone has that right.” He then asked whether Mr. Doukas participates in the party’s governing bodies or has ever been a PASOK candidate, saying: “Is he part of PASOK’s leadership bodies, as a PASOK candidate?”
The New Democracy MP also claimed that he had not seen the official PASOK party rush to defend Haris Doukas. “I didn’t see the official PASOK party file any complaint, nor did I see any PASOK MP post anything with particular fervor to defend him,” he said.
On the contrary, as he said, those who rushed to support the mayor of Athens were figures politically linked to SYRIZA or Alexis Tsipras. He referred to Kostas Zachariadis, whom he described as a “former SYRIZA spokesperson” and “current right-hand man of Alexis Tsipras,” as well as to Elena Kountoura.
When asked if he believes there is an agreement between Tsipras and Doukas to stir up trouble within PASOK, Mr. Kairidis replied: “I don’t know if there is. I know that Haris Doukas has left. He has left and is trying to join Tsipras.”
In this way, the New Democracy MP sought to portray Haris Doukas as someone who, in his view, may have ties to PASOK but is now following a different political path.
“We have lost sight of the essence of political debate”
In any case, the New Democracy MP attempted to shift the discussion away from individuals and internal party dynamics toward everyday problems, saying that public discourse has become trapped in opinion polls and behind-the-scenes maneuvering. “These are trivial matters. They aren’t what’s important. What matters are the problems people face,” he said.
According to him, political debate has lost its essence. “Let’s stop with the internal party matters and the polls. We’ve misled the public and lost sight of what really matters. We’ve lost the political debate, the substance, and the resolution of problems,” he said.
“People’s Front” in Athens and an attack on the mayor
Mr. Kairidis continued his criticism of Haris Doukas, referring to a “People’s Front” in Athens, with SYRIZA and PASOK aligning behind the mayor.
“We have a People’s Front in Athens, SYRIZA–PASOK, with Haris Doukas, and the situation is shameful,” he said.
He even accused the mayor of Athens of not focusing on the city, but rather on the national political scene. “We have a mayor who isn’t concerned with the city. He isn’t interested in Athens; he’s interested in political maneuvering,” he said.
Referring to Haris Doukas’s trip to London and his meeting with Andy Burnham and Keir Starmer, Mr. Kairidis argued that the mayor also made veiled references to the PASOK leadership, saying that “In Britain, prime ministers and party leaders step down, and others who can win take their place.”
Dimitris Kairidis’s statement indicates that New Democracy is closely monitoring developments within the center-left, attempting to highlight contradictions, personal strategies, and potential personnel shifts surrounding Alexis Tsipras. At the same time, he seeks to refocus the discussion on the argument that political debate must return to the real problems facing citizens.
The comparison with the mayor of Thessaloniki
Continuing his criticism of Haris Doukas, Dimitris Kairidis compared him to the mayor of Thessaloniki, Stelios Angeloudis, emphasizing that, although he is not a member of New Democracy, he is, as he put it, focused on his city rather than the national political scene.
“I see the mayor of Thessaloniki—from my city, where I’m from—who isn’t one of us, who doesn’t come from New Democracy, a close associate of Evangelos Venizelos in the past, focusing on his city,” he said.
The New Democracy MP argued that Mr. Angeloudis is not engaging in political maneuvering, but is trying to keep Thessaloniki functional and clean. “And Mr. Angeloudis gets things done,” he noted.
In this way, Mr. Kairidis sought to refute the perception of partisan bias, stating that he does not evaluate mayors based on their party affiliation. “I don’t have blinders on or engage in partisan patriotism,” he noted.
“Athens isn’t functioning”
On the contrary, Dimitris Kairidis was particularly critical of the situation in Athens, saying that this is the city where he works and spends most of his time.
““I see a city where I have my office, where I spend 80% of my time—the center of Athens, the Athens of the Parliament and everything else—that isn’t functioning,” he said.
In the same vein, he reiterated his criticism of Haris Doukas, accusing him of being more concerned with political confrontation than with the city’s problems.
The Prosfigika neighborhood on Alexandras Avenue and the barbs aimed at Doukas
Mr. Kairidis also addressed the issue of the refugee camps on Alexandras Avenue, taking jabs at the mayor of Athens’ stance. As he put it, Haris Doukas, through his stance, “embraces every fringe group,” at the expense, as he argued, of the efforts being made by the Regional Authority.
“And Haris Doukas gave a lengthy speech—all about the refugee camps, Koufontinas, and every fringe issue—for the mayor to adopt it and embrace it, at the expense of the regional governor, who is making a tremendous effort to revitalize that severely degraded area,”, he said.
The New Democracy MP noted that those familiar with the Alexandra and Ambelokipi neighborhoods understand the magnitude of the problem and the need for intervention.
When it was pointed out during the discussion that the government has historically neglected this specific issue, Mr. Kairidis acknowledged that wherever the government leaves gaps, problems arise that are subsequently difficult to manage.
“Wherever the government leaves a gap, issues arise, and then it’s difficult to manage them,” he said.
The narrative of self-reliance for New Democracy
The discussion then the discussion turned to New Democracy, the polls, and the possibility of Antonis Samaras forming a new party. When asked whether the narrative of a majority government remains alive for New Democracy, Dimitris Kairidis answered in the affirmative. “Of course it does. And I think as long as Alexis Tsipras is around, the narrative of a majority government will always be there,” he said.
He admitted, however, that New Democracy is still far from that goal, but he argued that a majority government is not unattainable, given that the party’s starting point in the polls ranges from 28% to 30%.
“There are difficulties, and we are far from that. But with a starting point of 28–30% in the polls, it is not unattainable,” he said.
“The key issues haven’t come into play yet”
Mr. Kairidis argued that current opinion polls are being conducted during a “political lull,” since, as he put it, the pressing issues of the election have not yet been raised. “All of this is happening today during a political lull, before the real issues have come into play,” he said, adding that Greek voters “aren’t in an election mood.” According to him, there is still a large percentage of undecided voters, while the real questions about the day after the election have not yet been raised with any urgency in society. “The stakes regarding what will happen the day after the election haven’t been raised urgently. Because, let’s face it, the country needs a leader,” he noted.
“If New Democracy isn’t strong enough to govern on its own, then what?”
The New Democracy MP also raised the central political dilemma, as he sees it, in the run-up to the next election. “If New Democracy isn’t a majority government, then what? What’s the alternative? Alexis Tsipras? Why would Alexis take the lead, and with whom, and how, and what?”, he asked. In this way, Mr. Kairidis sought to present New Democracy’s ability to govern on its own as the only clear solution for forming a government in the face of a fluid political landscape and Alexis Tsipras’s maneuvers.
The possibility of a Samaras party
When asked about the possibility of Antonis Samaras forming a party and whether such a move would harm New Democracy, Dimitris Kairidis replied that it would cause political damage. “I believe so. It would do a little harm,” he said, adding that this is precisely why, in his opinion, such a move should not be made. Mr. Kairidis argued that a Samaras-led party would not only hurt the New Democracy leadership but also the broader base of the party.
“It will hurt—and I’m not just talking about the leadership—an entire community. I see him, with his democratic patriotism and dedication, ready to join the fight right now. He’ll consider it a betrayal,” he said. In closing, he used particularly sharp language regarding the possibility of another split or defection: “When it happens a second time, it ceases to be a coincidence. It becomes a pattern.”
