The Southwestern Democratic Party congress that begins today is called upon to play a historic role. Now in his seventh year in office, K. Mitsotakis and ND have broken every record in the post-apolitical era.

He has been leading in polls since 2016 when K. Mitsotakis was elected leader. He has won by large, unassailable margins in two parliamentary elections, two European elections, and two regional and municipal election battles.

Even now finishing his second term and heading into another crucial election in a few months, he leads by 13%-16% over the currently second PASOK, appearing to have locked up first place, and this is not only due to the proverbial weakness and fragmentation of opposition, but also in policies promoted and adopted by critical audiences, such as defence armouring and raising the country’s international standing, which answers the will for stability in these difficult times, the will for security. It is no coincidence that, unlike the turbulence experienced by EU countries, the Greek system shows relative resilience and this is credited to the government of the New Democracy, which seems to be the only party in government.

However, these are not enough to achieve a new self-reliance given that it has to deal with phenomena of fatigue, social pressure due to precision, the problems in the functioning of the political system and the rule of law, phenomena of diminishing trust. Society is not fueling some 2012-type antisystemic wave, it is in a state of reduced optimism but not in a state of an angry “rebellion”.

However, it is looking for improvement of life and there is now a reduced tolerance for mistakes. Nevertheless, the critical percentage that gives self-reliance continues to look towards the Southwest. But they are not enough for self-reliance, because the Southwest is opposed not only by a large part of society, but also by strong economic centers that are fighting rabidly against it, reinforcing every effort to hurt and destabilize it.

As well as the tendency to “worry” by some of its cadres, including former prime minister K. Karamanlis, who discovered so many differences with the ND leadership that he decided not to go to the congress. As well as the tendency to “defend the country from danger” by another former PM who had brought down a ND government and perhaps thinks he can do it again.

This is precisely why the Congress is historic for the ND. Because above all, unity and real and not distant rallying must be achieved on some basic assumptions:

That the ND and personally K. Mitsotakis has achieved a nnew rallying of right, centre-right and centrist forcesand that was the secret of its commanding victories in 2019 and 2023. Any other view creates problems. Any tweaking of this ideological-political cocktail will have bad results, as we saw in the first election in 2012. Besides, of the 2023 figure, 60% were traditional ND forces and 40% were new forces.

That it is not enough for ND to show itself not only as a force for stability, but also as a force that only it can bring deep changes in the political system, convincing that it is the only party that can guarantee upheavals in the political system, in the rule of law, everywhere by restoring trust towards the institutions. That in short it is the truly progressive force that with determination can change everything.

That it is the force that can guarantee with steady, visible steps the improvement of people’s living standards, a force of social sensitivity and not of promises without impact.

That ND is a force that can shape the new, modern agenda towards the challenges of the present and the future as opposed to the rearguard battles fought by other political forces.

The Congress begins. Let us see the responses to these challenges. They will decide a lot.

* This article was published on Liberal.gr