The Prime Minister's plan for a top European position in 2029 exists, and scenarios have been revived regarding him replacing Ursula von der Leyen as President of the European Commission when her term ends in 2029. According to information from top government officials, Kyriakos Mitsotakis wants to assume the Premiership in 2027 for many reasons. Firstly, because no one else will have achieved it, and because he believes that stability plays a catalytic role in the economy, among other factors. However, the most prominent and personal reason is that he will have been elected three times, will be omnipotent within the European People's Party (EPP), will be at a good age, and will benefit from the momentum that the European South is now securing significant positions (such as the election of Pierrakakis to the Eurogroup).
Greece is entitled to a top position in the EU
As European observers note, Greece—with the recent exception of the Eurogroup, which has a 2.5-year term—has not secured a top position in Europe. This comes at a time when, for example, other countries such as Portugal, Belgium, and the Netherlands—countries with similar population sizes to Greece—have received top appointments.
The Mitsotakis plan
However, for all this—which is well-founded—to happen, Kyriakos Mitsotakis must be re-elected Prime Minister. And this is where the difficulties begin. Mitsotakis and New Democracy (ND) must achieve a strong percentage in the first ballot, which is the only opportunity for New Democracy to secure a high result. Pollsters and political analysts believe that in the event of a second election, New Democracy will lose its sense of security, Mitsotakis himself will be challenged, and there is a high probability that New Democracy will achieve a worse result, while the opposition—specifically Tsipras with the EL.AS [Police/Security narrative]—could perform better. The government will roll out two benefit packages and is planning a re-approach with measures for farmers, self-employed professionals, and the clergy, in order to win over dissatisfied voters and those abstaining.
The difficulty lies in the third term
Given these facts, there is no doubt that Mitsotakis is looking to achieve the best possible result in the first ballot and, with a strong performance, convince PASOK (primarily), which will be under significant pressure, to form a coalition government with him. The basic condition would be that he remains Prime Minister until 2029, at which point he will be proposed for the position of President of the European Commission to succeed Von der Leyen. Following that, the new Prime Minister could emerge through an agreement between New Democracy and PASOK.
Sotiris Pikoulas
sotirispikoulas@gmail.com
www.bankingnews.gr
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