The operation for the blue reconquest of the countryside by the Prime Minister and why it is doomed to fail
Mitsotakis may still be holding out in urban centers, but the downhill slide in the provinces knows no bounds. This is precisely the primary reason his aides are sending him to former "blue strongholds" to salvage whatever can be saved. His associates persuaded him to set foot in two "hot seats" in Messinia and Serres, but in both he has surrendered a goal straight from the changing rooms. In Kalamata, where he is going to speak at a KEDE conference, it is the home turf of Antonis Samaras.
From bad to worse
And while their relations are going from bad to worse, shortly before visiting he launches a new attack on the former Prime Minister, further detonating the situation. The irony is that he is heading to address mayors who are boiling with anger at the government. This stems from the fact that local government problems are tragic. Most mayors are in the red, as energy cost increases alone have blown budgets sky-high. Most of them, even those who are right-wing, are waiting to hear support measures from Kyriakos Mitsotakis because they are ready to close up shop. Therefore, if he fails to announce measures, his handpicked allies in KEDE will bear the brunt, making what he announces to mayors a matter of intense interest.
Antonis' castle
It is worth noting that Samaras with POLAN in 1993 had garnered around 13% locally when his party collected approximately 4.88% nationally. This fact alone illustrates how difficult it is for Mitsotakis to reap political gains in Messinia, having already managed to lose his top two local MPs. Namely, Samaras and, imminently, Chrysomallis as well. Maximos' argument that putting Porfyllenia Kanellopoulou into the mix will save the game is laughable rather than a serious rationale. Meanwhile, he is also preparing a staged event for local infrastructure works.
Gauging reactions
As if that were not enough, Mitsotakis was talked into visiting the birthplace of the Karamanlis family as well. On Saturday evening, the Prime Minister is expected to travel to Serres, as the following day marks the Feast of the Archangels, patron saints of the city of Serres. In the homeland of the Karamanlises, the Prime Minister will attend the morning Doxology and subsequently take a stroll through the city, where he will have a first-rate opportunity to gauge the pulse of an area where New Democracy admittedly enjoys high percentages, yet recently faces fierce competition from parties to its right. At the same time, just as in Kalamata, he faces the opposition of the Karamanlises, led by the former Prime Minister. The point of interest there will be whether he isolates Kostas Karamanlis of Achilleas, who has announced he will not be running in the upcoming elections.
Heavy atmosphere and K. Ach. Karamanlis
The atmosphere in both regions remains extremely heavy for both Mitsotakis and New Democracy. In fact, in recent polls, ND appears to be paying dearly for Mitsotakis' choices to clash with two figures, Samaras and Karamanlis, who maintain excellent relationships with their homelands. Messinia and Serres have transformed from blue strongholds into electoral districts where the ND president himself has breached the gates, with thousands of voters seeking refuge in other parties right of ND, while in both areas Samaras appears to draw high percentages. Numerous proposals have been submitted for the Serres tour itinerary, and based on the Prime Minister's tactic of visiting projects that remained stalled for years and progressed under ND rule, it is not ruled out that he will visit the Serres circuit track and the Lailias ski center.
Sacred relics
Considered almost certain is a move centered around sacred relics from the Holy Metropolis of Nigrita and Serres and the Monastery of Timios Prodromos, which are expected to be returned to Greece under the recent agreement with Bulgaria. It should be noted that Kostas Karamanlis was recently present in Proti, Serres, where he attended the national holiday parade with his family, including his wife Natassa Pazaiti and their son Alexandros. It was a presence that did not go unnoticed. A visit by the Prime Minister to Proti does not appear to be on the schedule, unless something changes at the last minute.
Macedonia's black hole
The tour in Serres forms part of a broader political attempt by ND to reconnect with Central Macedonia. This follows prior visits to Pieria, Chalkidiki, Thessaloniki, and Kilkis. This region traditionally constituted a strong electoral footing for ND, but in the 2024 European elections it registered losses, while right-wing competitors such as Greek Solution, Niki, and Voice of Reason saw electoral gains. Thus, behind the project site visits, local announcements, and symbolic moves, an effort is unfolding to regain ND political influence in a critical region, a trend that is nevertheless not reflected across all recent polling.
O Peiraiarchis
www.bankingnews.gr
Readers’ Comments